SINGAPORE — Mr Mohd Hasan, 32, who has cerebral palsy, used to spend his days lying in a room alone for hours on end. Afraid that he might fall off a bed, his family decided to let him lie on a floor mat instead.

Mr Hasan had to rely on his family members to clean him up whenever he drooled or soiled himself. And if he was running a fever, they would be none the wiser.

In September, Mr Hasan’s family enrolled with Home-Based Care Services — a two-year pilot project run by the Ministry of Social and Family Development that aims to give caregivers of people with disabilities a little breather from their duties.

Through the programme, Mr Hasan’s family learnt how to identify his ailments and administer basic care such as hydration. Currently, 27 families, including Mr Hasan’s, are enrolled in the project, which provides its services through the Asian Women’s Welfare Association (AWWA) and Movement for the Intellectually Disabled of Singapore (MINDS).

Staff from AWWA and MINDS visit three times a week and provide services that include physiotherapy and hygiene care. Each visit lasts one-and-a-half hours and costs S$50. Beneficiaries receive up to 80 per cent in subsidies from the Government. To be eligible, applicants with disabilities must be aged 16 and above.

Minister for Social and Family Development Chan Chun Sing said the programme would allow those with disabilities to be cared for at home, while providing relief to caregivers. “This is part of our effort to help people with disabilities remain integrated in the community and support their caregivers,” he said.

AWWA has also donated a bed and a commode chair to Mr Hasan’s family. His sister, Ms Siti Aisha, 26, a part-time tuition teacher, said: “Besides knowing how to provide basic care for Hasan, we have more time to focus on other things, like earning money to lift our financial burdens.”

Another beneficiary is Mr Jonathan Liew, 30, who suffers from Down Syndrome. He used to display challenging behaviour such as screaming at home, until staff from MINDS intervened by giving him a routine to follow during each visit.

“Right now, he behaves well only when we’re here and we hope, by next year, his parents would be able to control him as well,” said MINDS occupational therapist Koh Chu Wen.

His mother, Mdm Jenny Yeo, 58, said the programme had stopped Mr Liew from causing a ruckus in the house. “It’s more peaceful now. He’s still mischievous but, at least, he has stopped screaming.” Elgin Chong