HomeWise › Caregiver Guides › Caregiver Burnout
Looking After YourselfUpdated October 2026 · 6 min read
Most caregivers do not notice burnout arriving. It looks like being tired, then being short with the person you love, then not remembering the last time you did something for yourself. This guide gives you the four-question check AIC uses, tells you what the score means, and lists the ways to get a real break in Singapore, from a single afternoon to a week.
The short version
AIC's stress check has four questions. A score of 8 or more suggests a high caregiving burden.
Respite exists at every size: a care circle, a day at a centre, help at home, or a nursing home stay.
To arrange respite, call the AIC hotline on 1800-650-6060.
If someone is in danger, call 995. For a crisis at any hour, SOS 1767 and National Mindline 1771 are open 24 hours.
Exhaustion that sleep does not fix, feeling unsupported or unappreciated, and quietly neglecting your own health are the signs AIC names.
AIC describes burnout as feeling overwhelmed and exhausted by the stress of caregiving. Prolonged stress shows up in the body too: you may find it harder to remember things and easier to become irritable. Over time it can turn into low mood and losing interest in caring for yourself, or for your loved one.
None of this means you are doing it wrong. It means the load has outgrown the support around it.
Use the Zarit Burden Interview Screen (ZBI-4), the four-question check on AIC's website. Tap an answer for each question below. It takes a minute.
For each question, choose how often you feel this way: Never (0), Rarely (1), Sometimes (2), Quite frequently (3), Nearly always (4).
Answer all four to see your score.
Your answers stay on this page. Nothing is saved or sent. This is a screen, not a diagnosis.
If your total is 8 or more, AIC says you are likely to be experiencing high caregiving burden: caregiving is affecting your emotional, social, financial, physical or spiritual life.
A screen, not a diagnosis
The checklist tells you whether to act, not what is wrong. If your score is high, or you simply feel at the end of your rope, talk to your own doctor or one of the caregiver lines below.
Respite comes in every size. Start with the smallest one you can arrange this week.
| Option | How it works | How long |
|---|---|---|
| A care circle | Family, friends or neighbours who each take a regular slot, so one person is not on duty every day. | A few hours |
| Centre-based care | Day care or day rehabilitation centres can take your loved one ad hoc, even for a single day. | A day or more |
| Enhanced Home Personal Care (HPC+) | A care worker comes to the home for longer blocks so you can step out. | Hours at home |
| Household Services Scheme (MOM) | Approved companies send part-time help for housework, which frees your own time. | Regular hours |
| Nursing home respite | A short stay in a nursing home while you rest or travel. | At least 7 days per stay, up to 30 days a year |
| SPD Take-A-Break | For caregivers of persons with disabilities, administered by SPD for SG Enable. | Up to 200 subsidised hours, 1 Apr 2026 to 31 Mar 2027 |
From AIC's Take a Break page (accurate as of April 2026) and SPD's Take-A-Break page, checked 21 October 2026. Eligibility and subsidies vary; confirm with the AIC hotline on 1800-650-6060 before you book.
If you are paying for training so a family member or helper can share the care, the Caregivers Training Grant may cover part of the course fee. The Home Caregiving Grant is a monthly cash payout that some families use towards paid help.
On weekdays, the caregiver lines. At any hour, SOS 1767 and National Mindline 1771. If someone is in danger, 995.
TOUCH (6804 6555, also on WhatsApp), SAGE (1800-555-5555) and Montfort Care (8343 3224) all take calls from caregivers during office hours. The full list, with opening times, is in our guide to caregiver support in Singapore.
The hard part is often the evening, after your loved one is asleep and every line except the crisis ones has closed. That is what the HomeWise Evening Companion is for: a free AI companion you can talk through the day with, in English, Chinese, Malay or Tamil. It is not a counsellor, and it will point you to 995 or SOS if things are serious. You can meet the four companions first.
Feeling exhausted most of the time, feeling unsupported or unappreciated, neglecting your own health and losing interest in looking after yourself or your loved one. AIC describes burnout as feeling overwhelmed and exhausted by the stress of caregiving, and says to seek professional help if you feel it.
AIC uses the four-question Zarit Burden Interview Screen (ZBI-4). Score each question from 0 (never) to 4 (nearly always). A total of 8 or more suggests you are likely carrying a high caregiving burden. It is a screen, not a diagnosis.
Options range from a few hours to a few weeks: a care circle of family and friends, a day at a day care centre, Enhanced Home Personal Care (HPC+) at home, or nursing home respite of at least 7 days per stay and up to 30 days a year. Call the AIC hotline on 1800-650-6060 to arrange respite.
For caregiving advice, TOUCH (6804 6555), SAGE (1800-555-5555) and Montfort Care (8343 3224) run caregiver lines on weekdays. If you are in crisis, Samaritans of Singapore (1767) and National Mindline (1771) are open 24 hours. If someone is in danger, call 995.
The Evening Companion is free, needs no account and speaks four languages. Not a counsellor. In an emergency, call 995.
Open the Evening Companion →