A Helpful Guide to Taking Care of the Elderly in Your Family

Singapore is one of the top globally when it comes to life expectancy. A report done by Singstat in 2020 shows that an individual in Singapore can live, on average, till they are 83.9 years old! This long life expectancy suggests that Singapore has a rapidly aging population. And unfortunately, long lives are tied to a multitude of different health problems.

Nevertheless, there are many options for us when it comes to offering care to elderly in Singapore, from excellent healthcare to comprehensive financial support. There are even elderly-friendly services available for the elderly! Some of these services include home care services and specialized nursing homes. Every elderly person has their own needs, and so they will have to receive the care that best suit those needs. Keep on reading to learn more about the options you have to pick from, and which option best suits your loved ones.

For Healthy Elderly

As day care is held in centre-based care settings, it is best suited for elderly who are healthier and merely require supervision while their family members are at work, or when regular caregivers are not available. These day care centers not only allow the elderly to mingle with others, but also take part in planned activities while receiving essential care services like nutrition management, medication reminders and exercise guidance.

Services provided at day care range from dementia care, day rehabilitation, senior day care and respite care. Day cares usually open on weekdays during the day. However, you can make special arrangements with them if you need your loved ones to be looked after outside of these typical operating hours.

Cost: from $400 to $1,500 per month, before subsidies.

Possible Options:

• Orange Valley

• Hovi Care Senior Activity Centre

• Goldencare Senior Day Care Centre

• Care Corner Social Day Care for the Elderly

• AWWA Senior Activity Centre

• Senior Activity Centres (SACs) by AIC

• NTUC Health (Silver Circle senior Care Centres)

• Hong Kah North Day Centre for the Elderly

• ECON Healthcare Group

• Bo Tien Day Activity Centre for the Elderly

For Elderly with Light Medical Needs

Some elderly people do not need round-the-clock care, but rather just simply some form of rehabilitation or therapy.

Cost: $6 to $160 per session, before subsidies.

Possible options:

• Metta Day Rehabilitation Centre for the Elderly

• St. Luke's Eldercare

• Hua Mei Elder Person-centred Integrated Comprehensive Care (EPICC)

• AWWA Rehab and Day Care Centre

• Goldencare Senior Day Care Centre

• Sunlove Senior Care Centre@AMK

• United Medicare Centre

For Elderly with Chronic Conditions

Seniors with chronic conditions may be best suited for private nurse services that include changing feeding tubes, administering medication, wound dressing and removing stiches. These nurse services are able to provide the elderly with the comfort of being in their own homes whilst receiving medical care.

Cost: $600 to $1,000 per month, before subsidies

Possible options:

• Sue Private Nurses Agency

• Nicole Consultancy

• Anglo Nurses

• Active Global Specialised Caregivers

• Xedge Resources

• Ninkatec

• HoviCare

• Allium Healthcare

For Elderly people who require round-the-clock care

Nursing homes provide elderly people who do not have caretakers looking after them at home 24/7. In these nursing homes, residents have access to medical assistance. Additionally, they are provided general assistance for tasks such as dressing, washing, moving around, going to the toilet and being transferred from beds and wheelchairs. Moreover, residents are also able to participate frequently in fun activities like singing, dancing and crafts.

Cost: $1,200 to $4,500 per month, before subsidies.

How to Finance Elderly Care

In Singapore, healthcare can get quite costly, especially for those who need specialized care. Nevertheless, there are many grants and subsidies that we can make use of to lift the financial burden of healthcare. These subsidies and grants include:

• Pioneer Generation Package

• CareShield Life

• Seniors' Mobility and Enabling Fund

• Eldershield

• Intermediate and Long-Term Care Subsidies

You can also consider protection schemes to go one step further in protecting your elderly family members. These protection schemes include:

• Singlife CareShield Standard or CareShield Plus: able to boost your Eldershield or CareShield Life payouts

• Singlife's PAStar: a personal accident insurance plan for other medical or hospitalisation fees that may not be covered under Eldershield or CareShield Life

With age, many challenging problems may arise. But not to fear! These problems can be solved through assistance, best suited for each elderly person's needs. Undoubtedly though, these forms of assistance do not come cheap. Find out how you can ease your financial worries by contacting me at 97901583!