Introduction to Home-Based Respite Care
Home-Based Respite Care (HBRC) aims to support caregivers of patients on home palliative care, including Compassionate Discharge patients, by helping them cope with their loved ones’ care needs, and relieve their stress for a time-limited period.
Learn more about home palliative care.
How does Home-Based Respite Care Help Caregivers?
HBRC provides an interim caregiver (referring to a care staff from a service provider) to care for their loved one at home. The scope includes:
Assistance with activities of daily living and other personal care tasks
Examples include:
- Bathing and/or assisted bathing
- Toileting
- Nutrition intake
- Transferring
Assistance with light housekeeping of the care recipient’s immediate surroundings to maintain hygiene and safety
Examples include:
- Sweeping floor
- Laundry (using washing machine)
Assistance with light intensity activities for maintenance of care recipient’s physical and cognitive well being
As prescribed by a registered therapist
Assistance with higher-level care tasks
Examples include:
- Simple wound dressing
- Stoma care
- Tracheostomy suctioning
When Home-Based Respite Care Is Provided
- Mondays to Sundays, including Public Holidays
- Day shift from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM; Night shift from 10:00 PM to 8:00 AM
- Care recipients with higher-level care needs may opt for double shifts per day
Each home palliative care patient may use up to 30 single shifts in a lifetime. Each Compassionate Discharge patient may use up to two weeks (over 14 consecutive days) of shifts in a lifetime*. Government subsidies for Singaporeans and Permanent Residents are available.
* Caregivers have flexibility to use a combination of day, night or double shifts, according to their needs.
Home-Based Respite Care Eligibility Criteria
HBRC applicant must be a caregiver who requires respite, and who is caring for:
- A care recipient who is currently receiving care from a MOH-subvented home palliative care provider OR
- A care recipient who is a Compassionate Discharge patient from an acute hospital
How to apply for Home-Based Respite Care
Caregivers may apply for HBRC through their home palliative care providers or acute hospitals, who will perform the necessary clinical and psycho-social assessments to support the application.