Choosing a helper when a family member has dementia

By APEX Maids Agency Pte. Ltd. · MOM EA Licence 25C3180 · UEN 202547196H. Based in Jurong West and serving households across Singapore. Our website is apexmaids.sg and our phone is 8405 6661.

What to establish before enquiring with an agency

Before contacting Apex or any agency, the family should have a clear picture from the treating care team. Record the following:

• What daily activities need support. Bathing, dressing, eating, toileting, mobility transfers, medication reminders and meal preparation may all be affected. Dementia Singapore's daily care guidance explains that activities such as bathing, dressing, eating and moving around may become more challenging for a person living with dementia.
• Which tasks the care team says require professional supervision. Medication changes, feeding and swallowing assessment, restraint decisions and behaviour management planning are clinical matters. A helper should not be expected to make those decisions independently.
• The person's communication and language. If the family member's first language differs from the household language, include this in the brief. Describe the person's current communication needs, and ask the care team what support and instruction are appropriate.
• Who in the family will supervise daily. A helper working alone with a person who wanders, becomes agitated or resists care needs a family member contactable and a written plan for those situations.
• Overnight arrangements. If the person wakes at night, agree who responds and when the helper rests. A helper cannot provide uninterrupted 24-hour care. Plan rest and backup.

How to ask about experience beyond a general care label

A biodata entry or verbal claim of "elderly care experience" does not establish dementia-specific competence. At interview, ask the candidate to describe:

• The daily routine of the person she previously supported, including personal care, meals and mobility.
• What happened when the person became confused, agitated or refused care. Ask for a specific example rather than a general answer.
• Who supervised or shared the care duties in that household. Distinguish tasks the helper handled alone from tasks handled by family or professionals.
• Whether she has completed any dementia-related training. Ask for the provider name, course name, date and any certificate. Dementia Singapore offers a daily care course specifically for foreign domestic workers. AIC's Caregivers Training Grant may subsidise approved caregiver courses where eligibility criteria are met.
• How she would report a change in the person's condition or behaviour to the family.

Past exposure, completed training, individually supervised competence and clinical nursing are four different things. Record what evidence is available for each candidate and what still needs checking.

Training evidence and external resources

Dementia Singapore's academy includes a daily care course for domestic workers covering effects of dementia on everyday activities, safe and comfortable environments, hygiene, dressing, toileting, mobility and eating support. The course uses a Prepare, Involve and Comfort approach. Contact Dementia Singapore (helpline 6377 0700) for current course availability and suitability.

AIC lists care options including hiring a migrant domestic worker for home care, centre-based day care and respite services. AIC's Caregivers Training Grant can subsidise approved training courses where eligibility criteria are met. Eligibility, course approval and payment arrangements must be confirmed with AIC and the training provider. These are external programmes, not Apex courses or placement inclusions.

Our eldercare experience and training guide explains how to separate employment records, training records and interview evidence when comparing any elderly-care candidate.

Family contact, supervision and contingency

Before confirming a role, agree a named family contact, the care team's advice on when another adult or professional must be present, a plan for situations outside the helper's role, and realistic rest arrangements. Discuss:

• Wandering and exit safety. Agree who checks door locks, who is contacted if the person leaves, and any safety measures recommended by the care team.
• Resistance to care. Agree what the helper does if the person refuses bathing, eating or medication. Do not expect the helper to use physical restraint.
• Falls and emergencies. Keep agreed family, care-team and emergency contacts accessible. Ask the care team what response arrangements are needed; this hiring guide does not teach emergency procedures.
• Family backup for rest days, medical appointments and leave. MOM requires one rest day per week, and at least one per month cannot be compensated. Plan who provides care during rest days. When the employer travels, separate arrangements may be needed.

A practical example household brief

This is a hypothetical example to illustrate the level of detail, not a client record or outcome:

Adapt this to the actual daily support needed, the language, the family's availability and any professional care already in place. Send the brief to Apex; we discuss the household role and shortlist against it.

The employer question when the person has dementia

MOM's employer requirements state that the employer must have the mental capacity to fully understand and discharge their responsibilities. MOM lists dementia and Alzheimer's among conditions that may impair the ability to exercise supervision. If the proposed employer cannot meet MOM's requirements, check the appropriate eligible employer and lawful work arrangement with MOM. Simply putting another person's name on an application does not establish that the arrangement is allowed. See the retired-parent hiring guide for who can be the employer, including MOM's Joint Income and Sponsorship Schemes.

When to speak with the care team or AIC

• Before hiring, to clarify which daily support tasks the helper can assist with and which require professional supervision or training.
• When the person's needs change: new medication, increased confusion, mobility decline, swallowing difficulty or behavioural changes.
• If the helper reports a change in condition or repeated refusal of care.
• To discuss respite options, day care, home nursing or caregiver support. AIC's care options page lists available services and how to contact them.

Next steps with Apex

Send us the household brief with the daily duties, communication needs, family supervision plan and what the care team has advised. We shortlist candidates whose evidence and interview performance match the household role. Ask which relevant experience and training evidence is available for the current shortlist. The external programmes linked here are not presented as Apex courses, included placement benefits or evidence of Apex's participation. Apex handles domestic-helper enquiries; professional assessment and clinical care are separate.

See also: elderly care helper placements, post-discharge planning, helper versus professional caregiver, language matching for elderly care.

Sources checked 17 October 2026: MOM employer requirements, MOM rest days and well-being, AIC care options, AIC Caregivers Training Grant, Dementia Singapore daily care course.