Singapore Plans Permanent Home Care Posts to Support Seniors

The Singapore government is initiating plans to establish permanent posts for home personal care services aimed at alleviating the burden on caregivers in senior-dense neighborhoods. Health Minister Ong Ye Kung announced these developments on August 24, highlighting the current support for approximately 6,000 families benefiting from home personal care, which assists seniors with daily activities.

New Initiative to Enhance Senior Care

The new initiative, known as the Age Well Neighbourhoods, was first introduced during the National Day Rally and is designed to improve the quality of life for Singapore’s ageing population. The plan involves deploying teams to communities with a higher concentration of seniors, ensuring that these teams can provide care even after traditional office hours. Minister Ong emphasized the advantage of having local teams available to respond to emergencies as first responders.

“That way, I think we will relieve the burden of caregivers very meaningfully,” Ong stated during a media briefing following an event held by the Agency for Integrated Care. Although details on staffing these posts were not disclosed, the government has recently increased subsidies and support levels for long-term care, including home personal care services. This is expected to benefit more families, with further fee reductions anticipated in 2024.

Expanding Services for Seniors

The Age Well Neighbourhoods initiative will begin in Toa Payoh and is expected to extend to one or two additional areas with significant senior populations. Prime Minister Lawrence Wong noted in his National Day Rally speech the initiative’s goal of enhancing accessibility to healthcare services and home-based care for seniors. This approach aims to address the challenges associated with long-term care and living arrangements amidst Singapore’s rapidly aging demographic.

In addition to the home personal care posts, the initiative will also introduce community care apartments—public housing designed with senior-friendly features and on-site care. Minister Ong mentioned the expansion of active ageing centers, which will increase their outreach into communities using public spaces. Furthermore, community health posts will play a crucial role, deploying teams of healthcare professionals to provide ongoing care for patients recently discharged from hospitals.

“Instead of spreading all these initiatives thinly around the island, we feel it is more effective if we combine them, consolidate them, harmonise them, and implement them in a consolidated way in communities with a high density of seniors,” Ong explained.

Minister for National Development Chee Hong Tat further revealed that about 200 community care apartments are set to launch in Toa Payoh next year. These apartments will feature thoughtfully designed spaces that encourage social interaction and physical activity among seniors, supported by staff available around the clock to address their care needs.

Long-Term Vision for Ageing Population

The long-term vision for the Age Well Neighbourhoods scheme is to eventually roll it out across Singapore, with ongoing assessments of pilot projects in Toa Payoh and other locations. Minister Ong stated that the criteria for selecting neighborhoods will focus on the density of seniors and the number requiring services. “I think we have to start off with the neighbourhoods that have a higher concentration of seniors,” he noted, indicating that communities with more young families, such as Sembawang, may not be prioritized for consolidation.

The Ministry of Health has consistently emphasized the importance of preventative care and population health, aiming to shift the focus from hospitals to community settings. “We are now very determined to shift the centre of gravity of care away from hospitals and clinics into the community with residential areas,” Ong concluded.