But caring for his wife took a challenging turn for Mr Lim when her condition deteriorated in 2019. Since then, he has been assisting her in day-to-day activities including toileting, showering and eating. The couple’s weekly church outings also became a thing of the past.
Seeing how 24/7 caregiving was taking a toll on Mr Lim, the couple’s son applied for day care assistance. “It’s very stressful to be a full-time caregiver. If I didn’t have day care workers to help me look after my wife, I would ‘die’ from the stress,” said Mr Lim.
The 68-year-old first brought his wife to MWS Senior Care Centre – Eunos (MWS Eunos SCC) in February 2022, shortly after he moved into the neighbourhood. Every weekday morning, Mr Lim drops his wife off at the Centre, and picks her up in the late afternoon.
Day care has provided invaluable respite for Mr Lim. “I no longer feel so stressed out all the time. My wife has sleep problems and usually stays up till the wee hours of the night talking to herself. That affects my sleep too. When I send my wife to day care, I can catch up on sleep, go grocery-shopping, watch a movie or meet friends,” he said.
