Singapore Enhances Long-Term Care for Seniors with One-Stop Service and Streamlined Assessments
Seniors in Singapore requiring multiple long-term care services will soon benefit from a more coordinated and seamless experience, thanks to modern initiatives launched by the Ministry of Health (MOH) and the Agency for Integrated Care (AIC). These changes aim to simplify access to care and reduce the burden of multiple assessments for seniors and their caregivers.
One-Stop Integrated Community Care Providers
The MOH has reorganized the community care sector into 84 sub-regions, each with a population of approximately 8,000 to 16,000 seniors. Within each sub-region, an Integrated Community Care Provider (ICCP) has been appointed to offer a comprehensive suite of baseline services and coordinate care for those needing multiple types of support. This means seniors can access various services—including active ageing programs, day care, rehabilitation, and personal care—through a single touchpoint, eliminating the need to navigate different providers individually.
Streamlined Assessment Process
Starting in April 2026, seniors requiring multiple long-term care services will undergo only one comprehensive assessment conducted by the ICCP, utilizing a standardized, internationally recognized tool as announced by Senior Minister of State for Health Tan Kiat How. This assessment will form the basis of a single, unified community care plan, which will be shared with all providers involved in the senior’s care. The community care plan rollout will begin in October 2026.
Enhanced Home Personal Care (HPC+) Service
From April 1, 2026, more than 5,600 eligible seniors will have access to the enhanced Home Personal Care (HPC+) service . HPC+ includes features such as home-based respite care and 24/7 tech-enabled monitoring for falls and incidents, alongside assistance with daily living activities like housekeeping, and showering.
National Electronic Health Record (NEHR) and Funding Support
The MOH is also strengthening the National Electronic Health Record (NEHR) system to improve information sharing and care coordination. To support healthcare providers in complying with requirements to contribute patient data to the NEHR, the ministry is setting aside up to $45 million through the NEHR Connect Grant. Applications for this grant will open in July 2026. This funding will help defray the costs of adopting or enhancing health information management systems.
The government previously invested over $1 billion in the Healthier SG initiative, which included support for GPs to enhance their IT infrastructure and capabilities for NEHR integration.
Timeline for NEHR Compliance
The MOH has established a phased timeline for healthcare providers to contribute to the NEHR:
- Hospitals, GP clinics, and laboratories: by September 2027
- Nursing homes and dialysis centers: by September 2028
- Outpatient dental clinics and retail pharmacies: by March 2030
These initiatives reflect a commitment to providing seniors with more accessible, coordinated, and technology-enabled long-term care services, ultimately supporting them to age well within their communities.