Caregiver to Niece, member from ACC Pasir Ris
My niece was young when she lost her parents. I have been her caregiver since. She has mild-intellectual abilities with behavioural and self-harm issues, and is receiving counselling and day rehabilitation support from Anglican Care Centre (ACC) (Pasir Ris).
Since receiving support from ACC (Pasir Ris), I have seen her improve progressively. She learns how to react better when hearing voices. I am appreciative toward the centre’s staff for listening to my challenges, providing emotional support and, more importantly, sharing pointers and reminders to soften my approach in managing family tensions as well as aiding my niece’s recovery journey.
I used to be very strict with her. Nowadays, I am more mindful to reflect on myself and manage my frustrations before engaging my niece. I am also helping my sister, whom we are living together with, to communicate with my niece using a similar stance.
ACC (Pasir Ris) is a place where my niece gets to rehabilitate in the community through socialisation with other members. There are times, when in conflict with others, she would start to hear voices, which sometimes lead her to hurt her own wrist. The counsellor would step in to address the issues and help her revisit coping strategies such as walking away from stressful situations, effective breathing techniques and seeking help from counsellors. I noticed my niece applying self-regulating techniques on her own to manage her emotions on several occasions. I am glad that she is progressing on her recovery journey and is relying less on me for reminders on tips to manage her emotions.
