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Looking After YourselfUpdated October 2026 · 5 min read
If you searched for this late at night, you are not the only one. Caring for a parent day after day is tiring in a way that sleep does not always fix, and it is hard to say out loud. This page is for that feeling: what can help tonight, what to change this month, and when it is time to get help now.
If someone is in danger now, call 995.
If you feel you cannot cope, or have thoughts of harming yourself, call SOS on 1767 or National Mindline on 1771. Both are open 24 hours.
The short version
Feeling tired, frustrated or guilty is common. It does not mean you love them less.
Tonight: put the day down, breathe, pick one thing for tomorrow.
This month: share the load, book a real break, meet other caregivers.
The AIC hotline, 1800-650-6060, can arrange respite.
Yes. Many caregivers feel exactly this, and most do not say it.
AIC puts it simply: you may feel you are the only one thinking this way, but many other caregivers feel the same and have the same questions. Long-term caregiving wears people down. Being tired of it is a sign of how much you have been carrying, not of how much you care.
Because you care. Guilt and love often arrive together.
Many caregivers feel that resting means letting their parent down. It does not. A break is part of caring well. Respite services exist because carers who never stop eventually cannot continue.
Put the day down
Say it to someone, write it out, or talk it through with the Evening Companion. Getting it out of your head makes room for sleep.
Breathe for two minutes
The Companion has a two-minute wind-down: in for four seconds, out for six. Stop if you feel dizzy.
Choose one thing for tomorrow
Not the whole list. One thing. The rest can wait a day.
Lower the bar for tonight
Dinner from the hawker centre, dishes in the morning. Rest counts as part of the care.
The Evening Companion is a free AI companion for exactly this hour, in English, Chinese, Malay or Tamil. It is not a counsellor, and it will point you to a person when that is what you need. How it works.
Share the load
Ask family or friends to take one regular slot each week, even two hours. A fixed slot is easier to keep than "call me if you need anything".
Book a real break
Day care centres can take your parent ad hoc, even for a single day. Nursing homes offer respite stays of at least 7 days. Call the AIC hotline to arrange it. More →
Meet other caregivers
Hospital, community and online support groups exist across Singapore. Hearing someone else say it helps. More →
Check the money
The Home Caregiving Grant is a monthly payout towards care, and the Caregivers Training Grant helps with course fees. More →
AIC uses a four-question check. A score of 8 or more suggests a high caregiving burden. Take the caregiver burnout quiz; it takes a minute and nothing is saved. If your score is high, or you simply feel at the end of your rope, talk to your own doctor or a caregiver line.
Yes. AIC says it plainly: many caregivers feel the same way you do and have the same questions. Feeling tired, frustrated or even resentful at times is common in long-term caregiving. It does not mean you love your parent any less.
Many caregivers feel that resting means letting their parent down. A break is part of caring well, not a failure of it. Respite exists so that you can keep going.
Put the day down somewhere: tell someone you trust, write it out, or talk it through with the HomeWise Evening Companion, a free AI companion that is there at any hour. If you feel you cannot cope or have thoughts of harming yourself, call SOS on 1767 or National Mindline on 1771, 24 hours.
Call the AIC hotline on 1800-650-6060 about respite and care services. Ask family or friends to take a regular slot. A caregiver support group can help you feel less alone. The Home Caregiving Grant and Caregivers Training Grant help with the cost of care and training.
Free, no account, four languages. Not a counsellor. In an emergency, call 995.
Open the Evening Companion →