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. For residents who have medical conditions with long term complications requiring nursing care such as chronic wounds and tracheostomies, they can apply for Chronic Sick Services in selected nursing homes or community hospital.
Caregivers can tap on nursing homes for respite care if they need short-term care options. Night care option is also available if the caregiver requires time-off from night-time caregiving duties.
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.
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 $2,200 and $4,200 per 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.
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 Practitioner 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 nearest 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 like polyclinics and SATA CommHealth
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
- COVID-19 vaccination information
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.
