CNA938 Rewind - A Letter to Myself: Caring for her brother with special needs inspired Isabelle Lee to become a speech therapist
Isabelle Lee, 19, is on her way to becoming a speech therapist — a decision fuelled by her experience as a dedicated caregiver to her younger brother who has special needs. But when she was younger, Isabelle felt unseen. It's an experience that has been dubbed "glass children syndrome", when the siblings of individuals with special needs feel like their own emotional needs are being overlooked — as though they were made of glass. In this conversation, Isabelle and her mother, Janice, share how their relationship has healed and grown stronger through the challenges of caring for a family member with special needs.
CNA938 Rewind - Exploring the Science of Clean Air with FJ SafeSpace
In 'Made in SG', Melanie Oliveiro speaks with Jay Choy, founder of FJ SafeSpace – providers of premium air quality monitoring solutions. Choy will recall how and why he went into the advanced air purification sector after getting retrenched from his sales job. He'll talk about the science behind photoplasma technology, and how it combats hidden threats like viruses, bacteria, fine dust, Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) and odours. Choy will also talk about how FJ SafeSpace has carried out over 140 indoor air quality assessments across homes, offices, childcare centres and industrial sites.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNA
41 minutes ago
- CNA
About 20,000 people received incorrect subsidies, grants due to issue with means-testing system: MOH
SINGAPORE: About 20,000 people received incorrect subsidies or grants after a "processing issue" in a means-testing system managed by the Ministry of Health (MOH). Of these, about 2,000 people received lower-than-intended subsidies. The total value of under-subsidies is about S$2 million, averaging around S$1,000 per affected person, the ministry said in response to CNA's queries. The remaining 18,000 received higher subsidies, with the total value amounting to about S$7 million – around S$390 per affected individual. In a media release on Monday (Jul 21), MOH said it has completed the reassessment of the affected people. "MOH will adjust their means-test and subsidy tiers back to the intended levels from Jul 21, 2025 onwards," it added. For those who received an over-subsidy, they will not have to return the excess subsidy or grant amounts that have already been paid. "For the minority of individuals who received lower than intended subsidies and/or grants, agencies will make good the difference," said the ministry. The means-testing system managed by MOH, called the Household Means Eligibility System (HOMES), typically uses income information from the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS) to assess individuals with business income. However, in January 2025, the system could not appropriately account for the business incomes of selected individuals following changes in the data processing timelines. This led to "inaccurate means-testing" for individuals with business incomes and members of their households between Jan 1 and Jan 27, MOH said. Affected schemes and what to expect AFFECTED MOH SCHEMES CareShield Life and MediShield Life premium subsidies and Additional Premium Support (APS) Affected individuals will receive the correct premium subsidies at their next policy renewal. APS recipients will continue to have their premiums covered based on their approved validity period. All affected individuals will be notified via letter. No action is required on their part. Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS) Affected CHAS cardholders will receive letters detailing any required actions, if any. Subsidies for long-term care services Affected individuals will receive the corrected subsidies from the next billing cycle or payout date. Seniors' Mobility and Enabling Fund, Equipment Rental Scheme, Home Caregiving Grant and ElderFund Affected individuals will be informed of their adjusted subsidy or payout. Subsidies for day surgeries, inpatient services, specialist outpatient clinics, polyclinic drugs/vaccines and community hospital services From July 2025, public healthcare institutions will notify individuals who received lower-than-intended subsidies and adjust their bills accordingly. Reimbursements will be issued where applicable. No action is required from individuals. AFFECTED NON-MOH SCHEMES ECDA: Preschool subsidies and early intervention schemes ECDA will inform affected parents, preschools and early intervention centres of the adjusted subsidies from Jul 22. The corrected subsidies will take effect from August 2025 onwards. IMDA: DigitalAccess@Home Scheme (DAH) The affected households will be informed from Jul 22. Households who were under-subsidised will receive the correct subsidies and be automatically reimbursed. Those with higher subsidies will continue to receive them for the remaining validity period of the household's current DAH award. Their eligibility will be reviewed when they apply for a new DAH award. MOE: Higher education bursaries and Kindergarten Care (KCare) additional subsidies The Institutes of Higher Learning will inform affected students. No action is required from the students. Affected children attending MOE KCare will have their corrected subsidies applied from August 2025 and will be notified accordingly. SG Enable will work with service providers to inform the affected individuals receiving the subsidies from Jul 22. The corrected subsidies will apply from August 2025 onwards. Around 19,000 people who are under schemes administered by MOH were affected, the Health Ministry said. Another 1,000 people were also affected despite being under other schemes managed by the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA), Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF), Ministry of Education (MOE), and Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA). This is because "HOMES also provides means-testing results for selected subsidy schemes across the government", MOH added. Those affected by the issue represent less than 3 per cent of all individuals means-tested during the Jan 1 to Jan 27 period, the ministry said. MOH said that the agencies will reach out to inform affected individuals progressively, and there is no action required on their part.
CNA
5 hours ago
- CNA
Behind the wheel too long? How to stay healthy and beat fatigue if you drive all day for work
It doesn't take a road trip overseas to experience driver's fatigue. If you're a private-hire driver, taxi driver or delivery rider, the regular nine-to-five routine is definitely out of the window for you. In fact, platform workers typically work about 59 hours per week, according to a 2022 study on nearly 1,000 workers by the National University of Singapore's Institute of Policy Studies. While there aren't any official statistics on the daily hours, it is not unusual to find, for instance, delivery riders spending 10 to 12 hours on the road. And with about 70,000 platform workers in the ride-hail and delivery service sectors as of 2023, they make up 3 per cent of Singapore's workforce. That could be a lot of tired drivers and riders out there hustling to make ends meet. Anyone who has spent a considerable amount of time behind the wheel will know that driver's fatigue is a very real thing. 'Drivers experiencing fatigue may show signs such as frequent yawning and blinking, difficulty keeping their eyes open, and decreased concentration and vigilance,' said Dr Licia Tan, an associate consultant with Sengkang General Hospital's Department of Occupational Medicine. 'Passengers might also notice the driver becoming fidgety, veering off the lane or driving erratically,' she added. When does driver's fatigue set in? How can you combat it and get home safe? Let's put the gear into drive. HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE FOR DRIVER'S FATIGUE TO SET IN? One to two hours of continuous driving, according to Dr Tan. 'Driving is a cognitively demanding task that relies on sustained attention, quick reflexes and decision making – all of which would decline when a driver is tired.' Of course, the rate of deterioration depends on many factors, she said, citing 'individual differences in sustained attention, fatigue, sleep sufficiency, psychological state, mental sharpness and environmental conditions'. And on those especially hot days, the brain drain is even more pronounced. 'Intense weather conditions, such as a high environmental temperature, show a positive association with fatigue symptoms and have been linked to poorer decision making and road traffic accidents,' said Dr Tan. Now, not many people drive for 18 hours straight (and you shouldn't). But if you do, know that the prolonged wakefulness that impairs your brain function, is comparable to alcohol intoxication. 'Being awake for 18 hours is similar to having a blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.05 per cent, and 24 hours equate to 0.10 per cent, which exceeds Singapore's legal limit of 0.08 per cent,' said Dr Tan. WHAT KINDS OF DRIVING CONDITIONS TEND TO SAP YOUR ABILITY TO FOCUS? There are two types of fatigue, explained Dr Tan. 'In active fatigue, there is high mental effort required to navigate harsh external conditions such as poor weather, hazardous road conditions and heavy traffic. 'On the other hand,' she continued, 'passive fatigue results when there are prolonged periods where drivers have little to do. This can occur when driving on the expressway on cruise control, for example. Being awake for 18 hours is similar to having a blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.05 per cent, and 24 hours equate to 0.10 per cent, which exceeds Singapore's legal limit of 0.08 per cent. Both will drain you mentally but in different ways. In active fatigue, a high mental effort is required to maintain attention and that will lead to an eventual decline in vigilance, she said. Meanwhile, 'the monotony of driving may uncover underlying sleepiness and drowsiness with consequent negative effects on performance'. WHAT ELSE CAN IMPAIR YOUR REACTION AND FOCUS WHILE DRIVING? You only need to scroll through a couple of road-rage videos online to know that your psychological status such as stress, anxiety and anger, said Dr Tan, can impair your judgement from behind the wheel. Of course, the classic disruptors include alcohol and using the mobile phone. 'Alcohol is certainly a major contributor to road accidents as it reduces alertness, impairs judgement, impacts motor coordination and slows reaction time,' said Dr Tan. 'Distractions such as using the mobile phone increase the risk of accidents by consuming your visual and mental attention.' WHAT IMPACT DOES DRIVING HAVE ON HEALTH IN THE LONG RUN? Despite the high mental load, driving is, after all, a sedentary activity. It 'involves long hours of sitting, irregular meals and breaks, and limited access to physical activity – all of which increase the risks of chronic diseases like hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol and obesity', said Dr Tan. 'There is also strong evidence on the contribution of risk factors such as poor ergonomics and prolonged hours in a seated position with the development of musculoskeletal disorders such as lower back pain,' she said. Whole-body vibration (WVB), experienced by heavy-vehicle drivers, is another concern, said Dr Tan. Some studies have linked repeated or long-term exposure to such vibrations to negative health effects such as nerve damage, spinal degeneration, loss of balance, and vascular damage in the arms and hands. And that's not even including the job stress and abuse from demanding passengers and customers, said Dr Tan. SO, WHAT CAN DRIVERS DO? Dr Tan has four tips for better health: Maintain a balanced diet and keep to regular meal-times Pack nutritious snacks like fruits and unsalted nuts for when food access is difficult. Drink at least two litres of water daily. Keeping a water bottle filled with cool water in the vehicle will help ensure you are adequately hydrated. Dehydration can lead to fatigue, headaches, and reduced concentration. Take regular breaks Got for a five-to-10-minute break every hour, if possible. For example, you can do it after dropping off a passenger or package. Do body stretches, clock some steps or do some light stretches to improve blood circulation. Driving more than 12 hours increases the risk of fatigue-related errors and long-term cardiovascular harm. WHAT IF YOU CAN'T STOP AND TAKE A BREAK? Try simple seated exercises like neck rolls, shoulder shrugs and upper limb stretches while waiting in traffic, suggested Dr Tan.
CNA
13 hours ago
- CNA
Associate Professor Faith Chia on enhanced medical school curriculum
Dissection of actual human bodies will soon be mandatory for medical students at the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine. It believes the hands-on experience will make a vital difference to their knowledge of anatomy. Associate Professor Faith Chia, Vice-Dean of Education at NTU Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, discusses how the enhanced curriculum that makes cadaveric dissection mandatory could improve anatomy training for students. She also shares why the institution is implementing this, on top of using virtual tools in medical education, even as other countries move away from the dissection of human bodies.
