Wayne Freeman Chong, PhD

23/12/2025

I once broke a jade bracelet in three.

Because I was a caregiver without a map.

Years ago, while caring for my grandmother to support my mum through depression, I lost my temper for a moment.
She was bruised. That bracelet shattered. And the regret stayed.

Caregiving also forced choices that never feel fair:
I’ve had to decide between my mother’s gynaecological cancer review and my wife’s ultrasound for our first child.

And later, caring for my dad meant tracking subtle changes — speech, “tip-of-the-tongue” moments, confusion with directions — while trying not to let my own anxiety take over.

These moments taught me something I now say plainly:

𝗟𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹. 𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗶𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗮 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺.

Caregivers need guidance, boundaries, and support before things spiral.

That’s why I’m grateful to share the launch of the Institute of Mentors (SIMe) — a non-profit Company Limited by Guarantee focused on raising mentoring standards through ethics, supervision, and accountability.

SIMe is led by Mr Roland Ang.

I’m honoured to be one of the founding members, and I’ll be championing Family Development — especially Caregiving Mentorship.

If you’d like to partner with us or fund our initiatives, feel free to reach out.

(Photo credits: Tan, Website link in comments)



GeroPsych Consultants

15/12/2025

Impact isn’t built in the spotlight. It’s built in rooms like these.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve had the privilege of wrapping up final board meetings across the organisations I serve.

Among others, these include Centre For Seniors and HOPE worldwide (Singapore), alongside my leadership work at GeroPsych Consultants.

What stays with me isn’t just the agenda items.

It’s the people behind the mission.

The staff, volunteers, fellow board members, and community partners who show up faithfully when the work is hard and the needs are real.

I’m grateful for the trust, the candour, the laughs, and the shared resolve to keep strengthening the impact we owe our communities.

Thank you for the thoughtful mementoes and kind notes.

Even more, thank you for the opportunity to serve alongside you.

Moving forward with humility, clarity, and commitment. 😊

12/12/2025

A deficit budget isn’t automatically a red flag.

But approving one without clear principles is.

The year-end is often when organisations review their investments and returns, and plan for the next year.

Over the years, I’ve voted “yes” to deficit budgets.
I’ve also voted “no” for organisations I care deeply about.

Both decisions came from the same belief:

Board members are not here to say yes to passion alone.
We’re here to say yes to 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽.

Because in the social and health sectors, I’ve learned this the hard way:

👉 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗱𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗹.

There are deficits I can support when we have:

• A clear runway
A time-bound plan: why we’re running a deficit, for how long, and how we return to balance.

• Grounded income assumptions
Projections linked to track record, named strategies, and realistic capacity.

• Operational clarity
A working sense of costs, priorities, and what gets protected, trimmed, or redesigned if income falls short.

And there are deficits I struggle to support when:

• “We’ll raise more” is a hope, not a plan.
• Multiple years of red ink appear without a stop-loss.
• No one can describe the contingency playbook.

In those moments, a “no” vote isn’t disloyalty.

It can be an act of care.
For staff, beneficiaries, and the organisation’s long-term trust.

Good people can disagree on budgets.
But every director should be able to explain, clearly and calmly,
why we said yes.

Or why we couldn’t.

If you are a board or ExCo member:
What principles guide your “yes” or “no” to a deficit budget?

07/12/2025

A wonderful tribute to the volunteers who bring your Active Ageing Centres to life. Purpose grows when people feel connected, and volunteers play a big part in shaping that sense of belonging. I’ve seen how a simple activity or shared conversation can shift a senior’s day — sometimes even their confidence. The CASHEW framework ties it all together so thoughtfully.

06/12/2025

Reposting this meaningful conversation from Sandwiched Podcast.

Being a secondary caregiver for my grandmother taught me many things — but it didn’t fully prepare me for what it feels like to be sandwiched between caring for young children and an ageing parent. It’s a completely different rhythm, with pressures and emotional shifts that only make sense once you’re in it.

If you’re supporting both ends of the family, I hope this episode reminds you that you’re not alone — and that it’s okay if the reality feels different from what you expected.

Thank you Paul and the Tumbleweed team for creating space for honest conversations about the Sandwich Generation.

🎧 Full episode now streaming on YouTube + all podcast platforms.

30/11/2025

1 in 4 employees today is also a family caregiver — yet many organisations still overlook the emotional labour, resilience, and empathy they bring to the workplace. In this clip from Sandwiched Podcast, I spoke with Paul H. Richardson, Jr., MA about why recognising and supporting caregiver-employees isn’t just good HR practice — it’s a leadership imperative.

Full episode now available on YouTube and all major podcast platforms.

29/11/2025

We may not get winter in Singapore, but older adults here still deal with stiff joints, aches, and mobility challenges, especially in cooler, rainy months or heavily air-conditioned spaces. These simple neck, shoulder, hand, and leg exercises are a helpful reminder that gentle daily movement can make a real difference in strength, comfort, and independence.

The routines are easy to follow at home and perfect for supporting seniors who want to stay active and steady all year round.

Thanks to Dr. Mrigna Nagraj, Pankaj Mehrotra, and the 50 Plus Assist Pvt LTD. team for putting this together.

25/11/2025

My speaking journey didn’t begin on a stage.

It began beside my grandma’s bed.

Watching my mum care for her mum, and trying to make sense of a decline none of us were prepared for.

Those quiet moments turned me from a caregiver into a caregiving advocate.

And in the past weeks, I had the privilege of sharing this journey at two online events: the National Family Caregivers Symposium 2025 by Sherrell D Mims-Baker and a mentorship webinar by SG Psych Stuff.

A finding from one of our studies has stayed with me.

Caregivers’ burden, depression and health don’t just affect their lives. They influence whether families even access long-term care services.
(URL in comments below)

Understanding that changed the way I speak, teach, and advocate.

Thank you, Ratna Juita, for the reminder that personal truth — not polish — is where real impact begins.

If this resonates, share it with someone who’s learning to turn their caregiving story into strength.



GeroPsych Consultants

Dawn Staub Daniela Russo Cynthia Mobley Howell - Lifestyle Transformer Paul H. Richardson, Jr., MA

22/11/2025

Caregiving can take a toll in ways we rarely talk about.

In this short clip from Sandwiched Podcast, I opened up about how my mother’s depression deepened while caring for my grandmother — a reality many families face quietly.

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed as a caregiver or watched someone you love struggle under the weight of responsibility, you’re in good company.

Full episode now streaming on YouTube and all podcast platforms.

Sandwiched, powered by Tumbleweed | Host: Paul H. Richardson, Jr., MA

19/11/2025

64 votes. 1 clear message. 2 new sessions.

When I asked, “Which 20-minute session would help you or your team most right now?”, you voted:

31% – How to Finance Long-term Care
28% – How to Reduce Dementia Risk
23% – How to Care Without Crumbling
17% – How to Build Cognitive Capital

The comments and DMs were even clearer:

𝘞𝘦’𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨.

𝘍𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘥𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘢 𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘬 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨-𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘮 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦.

So I turned the poll into practice.

Last week at Mercer 𝗦𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗽𝗼𝗿𝗲, I road-tested Caring Without Crumbling™ as a live hybrid micro-session.

It helps employee-caregivers move from “I’m just helping when I can”, ...
.. to “I’m coordinating care across six domains”.

It helps to set shared load, planned asks, and stage-fit routines, ...
.. instead of burning out alone.

The core idea: 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗰𝗿𝘂𝗺𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻 𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲.

In parallel, I’ve shaped Defy Dementia, Define Your Destiny™ into a short, plug-and-play session on cutting dementia risk early – for staff and the families they support.

Next up, guided by your top poll choice, I’m designing a 20-minute module on Financing Long-term Care so frontline teams can guide families without drowning in admin.

Feel free to reach out if you would like to find out more. 🙂

Happy weekend!



GeroPsych Consultants

18/11/2025

Thank you to Sherrell D Mims-Baker and Lance A. Slatton for this opportunity to share my stories. Reliving the experiences each time I tell them is an amazing experience on its own. Much appreciated. :)

Thank you to Sherrell D Mims-Baker and Lance A. Slatton for this opportunity to share my stories. Reliving the experiences each time I tell them is an amazing experience on its own. Much appreciated. :) | 33 comments on LinkedIn

15/11/2025

Reposting this meaningful episode from Sandwiched Podcast.

Caregiving isn’t always calm or graceful — it can be messy, emotional, and profoundly human. I’m grateful to Paul H. Richardson Jr. and the Tumbleweed team for the opportunity to share how one difficult moment became a lesson in grace, resilience, and the patience required to care for someone you love.

Thank you for creating space for honest stories from family caregivers.