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​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Introduction To Nursing Homes

Nursing Homes are long-term residential care facilities that provide assistance to residents who need help in most of their activities of daily living and/or have daily nursing care needs.

In addition, there are selected nursing homes with specific dementia and/or psychiatric facilities that cater to residents who need specialised care and support.

​Caregivers can also tap on nursing homes for respite care if they need short-term care options for several days to a few weeks for their loved ones, e.g. when your Foreign Domestic Worker goes on home leave. Night Respite care is also available for loved ones with Sundowning behaviour.

Services Provided

A nursing home provides the following services:

Help With Activities Of Daily Living

This includes going to the toilet, showering and eating, etc.

For Dementia/Psychiatric Facilities

Programmes and activities for cognitive stimulation will be provided to slow down the deterioration of mental function of the residents.

Night Respite

Night Respite is an overnight respite option for caregivers of persons living with dementia displaying sundowning behaviour. This gives them some time off from night-time caregiving duties.

Nursing Care

This includes management of nasogastric tube, urine catheter, wound dressing, etc.

Physical and Social Activities

Maintenance exercises, outings, etc.




How to Apply

An elderly person applying to stay in a nursing home must be:

  • Physically or mentally disabled because of illness;
  • Semi-mobile, using a wheelchair or is bedbound, and needs daily care and help with activities like going to the toilet or walking; and
  • Unable to be cared for at home by family or paid domestic worker, and tried all other care options such as using day care, home medical, home nursing services, etc;

The basic cost varies between $2,000 and $3,600 a month to stay in a nursing home (before MOH subsidy), depending on the level of care required. Additional charges include one-time refundable deposit and administrative charges. Other charges which are not covered by the basic cost may apply.

If you need more information or want help paying for the service, please speak to your service provider or the Medical Social Worker.

You may also visit the online E-care locator to find service providers near you.


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Plan Ahead For Respite Care

You may need to access respite care unexpectedly. Planning ahead for respite care will help you to better care for yourself and your loved ones.

Go Respite Pilot
You can pre-enrol for respite care ahead of time under the Go Respite pilot programme, to shorten the time required to access respite care when you need it. Click here to learn more, or approach the participating nursing homes here.

 

Nursing Home Respite Care

Here are some steps on applying for Respite Care:

​In general, the daily room and board rate ranges from $100 to $150 for open ward (excluding administration fees, consumables, and a refundable deposit).

Please note that respite care is not a suitable option if your loved one has a condition that requires urgent medical attention. For such cases, please seek assistance from a General Practition​er or hospital. ​


Eligibility

​​To apply for Nursing Home Respite Care, your loved one must meet the following minimum criteria:
  • Has moderate to high nursing care needs;
  • Has a long-term care arrangement in place.

There must be a discharge care plan for your loved one at the end of the respite care period.

You may approach a Care Consultant at your n​earest AIC Link, or contact any private nursing home for assistance. ​​

​Please prepare a copy of the Care Recipient's Medical Report to facilitate the nursing home's respite care application.

The Medical Report should include his/her's chest X-Ray results. Please ensure that the report should be dated no earlier than six (6) months from the intended date of admission.

These are suggested ways to obtain the Medical Report:

  • Use Care Recipient's hospital discharge summary if he/she was discharged not more than 6 months ago; or
  • Through the Care Recipient's regular General Practitioner; or
  • Through participating medical facilities listed here​*

* Participating medical facilities will be able to assist you with the required Medical Report and Chest X-ray within 1-2 working days.

Your doctor should include the following details in the Medical Report:

  • Diagnosis
  • Clinical history
  • Current functional status
  • Required nursing procedures
  • Drug allergy history (including list of current medications)
  • Cognitive and behavioural symptoms (if applicable)
  • Results from Chest X-Ray

All applications for subsidised respite care are to be submitted 4 weeks prior to the requested admission date. This is to provide sufficient time for AIC to process your application and for the nursing home to review and conduct the necessary assessments.

Please note that application does not guarantee placement – this is subject to the nursing home's assessment and their bed availability during the intended respite period.

​For more information on government subsidies for respite care, click here.

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Night Respite

Night Respite is an overnight respite option for caregivers of persons living with dementia displaying sundowning behaviour. This gives them some time off from night-time caregiving duties.

Night Respite engages persons living with dementia meaningfully during the session, while providing assistance with activities of daily living. It also educates caregivers on managing sundowning behaviours.

Sundowning is the worsening of behavioural difficulties towards the end of the day. Symptoms include restlessness, agitation, suspicious behaviour, disorientation, visual and auditory hallucinations, and difficulties sleeping at night. This often occurs in the moderate to severe stages of dementia, and may be challenging for caregivers to manage.

Eligibility Criteria

  • Caregivers applying for this service must be the long-term caregiver of a person with dementia.
  • Persons with Dementia eligible for admission:
    • Diagnosis of dementia by a Singapore Medical Council-registered medical practitioner
    • Displaying Sundowning behaviour
    • Clients who are being cared for at home, and not utilising any long-term residential care services

Download this Night Respite Service Application Package to apply for this service. All applications for Night Respite are to be submitted to careinmind@aic.sg.

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