Stay informed about the services available in your community to access suitable support for your loved one and yourself, including support for engaging Migrant Domestic Worker.
Navigating Eldercare and Caregiving Services
As a caregiver, it’s important to know the available services in your community. Finding suitable services may be challenging, but we’re here to make it easier for you. When choosing support services, try to include your loved one in the conversation. Their feelings and comfort are important in picking the best care options for themself. Together, you can find a solution that works for both of you.
Types of Support Services & Schemes Available
For your loved ones:
- Meeting their daily care needs
- Care At Home – enables the provision of care for your loved one at home
- Care Centres– allows your loved one to spend time with peers in centres during the day
- Care in Residential Facility – provides round-the-clock service if you are unable to care for your loved one at home g. Inpatient hospice or Nursing Homes
- Planning ahead for future care needs
For yourself as a caregiver:
- Financial grants to offset caregiving costs e.g. Home Caregiving Grant, Caregivers Training Grant
- Caregiver support groups to connect with other caregivers
- Therapy and counselling for emotional and mental health support.
The Community Mental Health Wayfinding Tool helps you find appropriate community mental health services. - Respite services let you to take a break from your caregiving duties
Find What Suits You
The Care Services Recommender (CSR) is an online self-assessment tool to help you find community care services and financial schemes to manage your loved one’s care. By answering some questions about your loved one’s care needs and health condition, you will be able to view relevant services, schemes, and tips for you to consider.
Hiring a Migrant Domestic Worker (MDW)
If the above formal care services aren’t suitable for you and your loved ones, hiring a migrant domestic worker (MDW) maybe a good alternative to care for your loved one at home. For more details on how to hire one, you can refer to the LifeSG guide.
Here are some schemes to support you in a MDW:
Migrant Domestic Worker (MDW) Levy Concession
This concession significantly reduces the monthly levy cost from $300 to just $60 for looking after seniors and persons with physical disabilities who permanently requires some assistance with at least one of the six Activities of Daily Living. This makes it more affordable to hire a domestic worker. Read up more about it here.
Eldercarer Foreign Domestic Worker Scheme
When you hire a Migrant Domestic Worker MDW) under this scheme, they will receive training in essential caregiving skills, including:
- Understanding the ageing process
- Monitoring vital signs
- Assisting with daily care tasks such as toileting, bathing, eating, dressing, and mobility
- Supporting simple activities and exercises to prevent falls
- Administering medication and tending to minor wounds
- Communicating effectively with your loved one during care
Training Duration
- Before Arrival: Two days of classroom training.
- After Arrival: Three hours of on-the-job training to apply learned skills.
Training Cost
- Training costs range from $200 to $500, depending on the employment agency and the type of trained helper required.
Hiring Details
For more information on costs and the hiring process, contact the participating employment agencies (EAs). You can also find more information on the agencies listed above via MOM’s Employment Agencies and Personnel Search.
Note:
- If you have urgent caregiving needs, you can contact the EAs indicated with a *. These agencies are part of the Ministry of Manpower’s (MOM) Advance Placement pilot scheme (APS) which enables faster placement of MDWs.
- If you need a MDW with nursing background, you can contact the EA indicated with a ^. Please note that their services may come at a higher cost, and they will still undergo the eldercare training program to refresh their caregiving skills.
Centre-based Care on Weekends
You can consider utilising centre-based care services during your MDW’s off days on weekends. This option can provide care for your loved ones while you take a well-deserved break. Below is an overview of the service providers who operates during the weekends (note that operating days and hours may vary for each provider). For more information on applications, please call into AIC Hotline or visit the AIC Links.
Note: This information is accurate as of August 2025
