Singapore Plans Permanent Home Care Posts to Support Seniors

The Singaporean government is initiating plans to establish permanent posts for home personal care services, aimed at alleviating the burden on caregivers in areas with a higher concentration of seniors. Health Minister Ong Ye Kung announced this development on August 24, outlining details of the new initiative during an event related to the Agency for Integrated Care.

Currently, approximately 6,000 families benefit from home personal care services, which provide vital assistance to seniors in their daily activities. Under the new Age Well Neighbourhoods initiative, the Health Ministry is conceptualising dedicated teams to be stationed within these communities. This will ensure that care is accessible even after office hours and that teams can respond promptly in emergencies.

Details of the Age Well Neighbourhoods Initiative

During his remarks, Ong emphasized the importance of integrating care services within communities. “Because they are sited in the community, after office hours they can still provide some care. In an emergency, they can be the first responder,” he explained. While Ong did not disclose specifics about staffing for these teams, he highlighted the government’s recent enhancements to subsidies for long-term care, which will further benefit families in need.

The Age Well Neighbourhoods initiative will commence in Toa Payoh, along with one or two other areas with a significant senior population. Prime Minister Lawrence Wong mentioned this plan in his National Day Rally speech, noting that the initiative aims to make healthcare services more accessible while expanding home-based services.

This initiative serves as an alternative to community care apartments, which offer an assisted living model that combines senior-friendly housing with on-site care. Ong further elaborated on plans to enhance community infrastructure, indicating that the Ministry of National Development and the Ministry of Transport are committed to developing environments that cater to seniors.

Expanding Community-Based Care

Ong outlined additional components of the initiative, including an expansion of active ageing centres, which will enhance community engagement by utilizing common spaces in Housing and Development Board (HDB) estates. The introduction of community health posts will also play a critical role, with teams of healthcare professionals providing ongoing support to patients after hospital discharge.

“Instead of spreading all these initiatives thinly around the island, we feel it is more effective and will make a bigger impact if we combine them, consolidate them, harmonise them, integrate them and then implement them in a consolidated way in communities with a high density of seniors,” Ong stated. This strategic approach aims to transform selected areas into Age Well Neighbourhoods.

Minister for National Development Chee Hong Tat announced that approximately 200 community care apartments will be introduced in Toa Payoh next year. These senior-friendly HDB flats will include communal spaces to foster social interactions and will be supported by staff available around the clock to attend to residents’ needs.

Ong reiterated that the Age Well Neighbourhoods initiative represents a long-term strategy for addressing the challenges posed by Singapore’s rapidly ageing population. “Whatever we announce for Toa Payoh and whatever we may announce later this year, these are pilot projects. The intention is to learn from them, and after learning from them, we can implement them better, and then we’ll look for other places,” he said.

When discussing the criteria for identifying Age Well Neighbourhoods, Ong noted that the government will consider both the density of seniors and the specific needs of the population. While areas with younger families, such as Sembawang, will continue to receive support through active ageing centres and home personal care services, they will not be developed into Age Well Neighbourhoods in a major way.

Ultimately, the Ministry of Health is focused on shifting the centre of gravity for care away from hospitals and clinics, directing more resources into community settings. Ong emphasized the importance of preventative care and population health as central to the government’s strategy for managing the needs of an ageing population.