About Nursing Home Respite Care Services

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 Foreign Domestic Workers go on home leave.

Nursing home respite care providers in Singapore require care recipients to stay for at least seven days or up to 30 days in a calendar year. However, the Agency for Integrated Care (AIC) also considers applications on a case-by-case basis and may allow the care recipient to stay for a longer period in cases where caregivers may need the stay to be longer, such as when the caregiver is sick and cannot recover in time.

Services Provided by Nursing Home Respite Care

Aside from lodging and meals, nursing home respite care also provides:

• Nursing Care: This includes management of nasogastric tube, urine catheter, wound dressing, etc.
• Physical and Social Activities: Maintenance exercises, outings, etc.
• 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 functions of the residents.

Who Can Apply

To apply for this service, your loved one must meet the following minimum criteria:

1. Has moderate to high nursing care needs; and
2. 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 i.e. when they leave the nursing home.

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.

How to Apply for Nursing Home Respite Care

Step 1: Contact AIC or Nursing Home

You may approach a Care Consultant at your nearest AIC Link, or contact any private nursing home for assistance to apply.

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.

Step 2: Prepare your application

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 chest X-Ray results. Please ensure that the report should be dated no earlier than six (6) months from the intended date of admission.

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

How to Obtain the Medical Report

You can get the medical report in the following ways:

• Obtain the 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*

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

Step 3: Submit the application form

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.

Costs and Subsidies

The basic cost varies between $2,000 and $3,600 a month to stay in a nursing home (before government subsidy), depending on the level of care required.

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

Additional charges include one-time refundable deposit and administrative charges. There may be other charges.

Government subsidies are available for respite care. Learn more aboutmeans-testing and subsidies here. If you need more information or want help paying for the service, speak to your service provider or the Medical Social Worker.

Need More Help?

You may access more information on Agency for Integrated Care (AIC) Singapore.