MediSave can be used for palliative care from July, home care from Oct

While nursing home capacity has increased – with the number of beds almost doubling from 16,000 in 2020 to 31,000 in 2030 – the minister said this is not easily scalable, as it requires land and manpower.

“More importantly, it is much better for seniors, medically and emotionally, to age purposefully and actively in their current communities,” Mr Ong said, adding that the country’s “operating model” needs to reboot.

First, there is a need to “significantly, and proactively extend outreach to seniors through a large community volunteer force, by tapping on the good work and capabilities of our Silver Generation Ambassadors, PA and other community volunteers”.

“Second, we need to strengthen our befriending efforts. This will require sustained effort by volunteers. Over time, by building up our relationships with the seniors, we should be able to engage them in community activities.”

Mr Ong said seniors in Singapore also need to be connected to other activities and spaces in the community and that the AACs should be seen as a staging ground.

“It needs to leverage all existing community assets like coffee shops, hawker centres, parks, libraries, and community centres, and connect seniors to all activities in the community.“

He said that senior volunteerism should be promoted within AACs to provide people with the opportunity to contribute to the community and help others, as “senior volunteers are a very strong ground asset given their passion and connection with their communities”.

A lot of effort and resources are needed to make the changes, and the community care sector will need stronger support, he said, noting that some of these are “within the ability of MOH to deliver”, such as manpower.

HNF chief executive officer Christina Tiong told The Straits Times that the foundation “welcomes this policy change greatly” and that it has been working closely with MOH and the Central Provident Fund Board to operationalise the requirements. 

Retired civil servant Goh Shih Yong, 74, who is spending his retirement at home with his wife, said he was glad the Government was addressing issues related to hospice care for the sick and elderly in Singapore.

“But more thought can be put on how the family, friends and volunteers can contribute meaningfully to hospice care. It takes time and effort to train and educate caregivers,” he added.

Caregivers of the elderly-sick and children living with disabilities expressed mixed feelings about home care after the announcement was made.

Businesswoman Ang Hwee Suan, 61, told ST: “This will ease the pressure on healthcare institutions. At the same time, it will benefit the patients who can spend their last days in a familiar environment surrounded by loved ones and will also lighten the financial burden on caregivers.”

Ms Ang cared for her father at home until his death.

But Mr Adrian Tan, 36, co-founder of social enterprise SG Assist, said there was still a significant need for improvement in the service provisioning of medical services and hospitals.

“Reliance on telemedicine should be seen not only as a cost-saving measure but also as a way to enhance convenience and comfort for those in need of care. So, healthcare providers and policymakers must consider this as they plan and implement these services,” he said.

Mr Tan added that while he was able to tap MediSave to support his mother’s medical expenses, the annual limit for each household family member’s contribution posed some limitations.

“The cap on MediSave contributions can be a significant barrier, especially for middle to low-income families like ours. I hope the authorities will consider viewing the new teleconsultation and home care services under a separate budget calculation.

“Otherwise, the existing medical expenses that we’ve already tapped into may limit us,” he said.