5 Differences between a Caregiver vs a Domestic Maid

​The population of Singapore is aging rapidly and for those families with an elderly person at home, there is an increasing need for an extra pair of hands to assist to look after the loved ones. If you are looking for live-in help, do you consider a caregiver or a domestic maid? What are the differences between a caregiver vs a domestic maid? This article lists down 5 differences between a caregiver vs a domestic helper to assist families to make an informed decision.

(1) Job Scope

The caregiver’s primary focus is on the well-being of the care recipient, she focuses her energy and attention to provide care to the person in need. The needs of the care recipient can vary from help required in Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) to complex cases such as bedridden patients. If the caregiver is able to manage the needs of the care recipient, she can sometimes assist in light housework (mostly surrounding the well-being and personal hygiene of the care recipient). The scope of housekeeping should be agreed between the family and caregiver to set the correct expectations prior to the start of work.
 
A domestic helper’s job scope primarily involves household chores such as cleaning, washing, laundry, ironing and cooking, to ensure that the cleanliness of the house is maintained. They might assist to tend to the needs of the elderly but most of them are not equipped with the necessary skill sets to perform the job safely and effectively.

(2) Skill Sets and Experience

​Due to the differing job scope between a caregiver and a domestic maid, the skill sets required of them are different.

A Caregiver would have some form of formal training or education (such as a caregiving course, nursing aide course, diploma or even a degree) and/or experiences in looking after the elderly. Domestic maid generally does not require any formal training or education. They might have undergone some training in their home countries to equip themselves with basic skills of cleaning and cooking to ensure that they can keep the households in a good condition.

(3) Language Skills

​A Caregiver is required to be proficient in some spoken languages such as English, Chinese, Malay and/or dialects as they need to communicate effectively with the care recipients and family members. To work effetively, they will need to understand the requests of the care recipient and follow instructions from the family members. A good rapport with the care recipient can be established through effective communication, resulting in a harmonious relationship.

A domestic maid might only need basic spoken language abilities as its job scope evolves around the chores in the households. They can slowly pick up the spoken language as they spend more time in the households.

(4) Attitude to Look After the Elderly

A caregiver has the attitude and willingness to look after the elderly as this task is not an easy one. Finding a caregiver with the right attitutde is especially important to ensure that the care recipient is well looked after. As not everyone has the attitude to take care of the elderly, it is important to find those 'right' caregivers as they will then be in the job for a long period of time.

A domestic maid might not have the attitude and willingness to look after the elderly. They might just prefer to handle the household chores and/or to look after children.

(5) Renumeration

​As the requirements of a caregiver is higher in terms of skill sets, experiences and language skills, the remuneration of a caregiver is thus higher than a domestic maid. The renumeration of the caregiver depends on the qualification, experiences and skill sets of the caregiver.

Conclusion
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We have listed 5 differences between a caregiver and a domestic maid. Based on the help required by the families, they should find the appropriate help, so that their needs can be well taken care of. If the help involves looking after the elderly, it is recommended that a caregiver be engaged. If the needs of the families are for household chores, they can look for a domestic maid.