Home personal care services in Singapore
Trained caregivers, care aides, and live-in helpers supporting seniors with bathing, feeding, mobility, and daily routines — so they can age at home with dignity.
What is it?
Home personal care covers non-clinical support for activities of daily living (ADLs): bathing, dressing, grooming, feeding, transferring (bed to wheelchair), toileting, and light housekeeping. Providers range from agency-placed foreign domestic workers and trained local care aides to tech-enabled platforms offering on-demand or scheduled caregiver visits. Live-in caregiving is a subset where a caregiver resides with the senior. This category is often combined with home nursing for seniors who need both clinical and personal care.
Who it suits
- Seniors with ADL dependency who want to remain at home
- Families where the primary caregiver needs respite or works full-time
- Seniors discharged from hospital who need short-term personal care support
- Seniors with dementia who need supervision and assistance throughout the day
Costs and subsidies
Before subsidies, licensed home personal care providers in Singapore typically charge S$25–S$60 per hour for scheduled day visits, while live-in arrangements run S$2,500–S$4,500 per month depending on the provider and level of care required. Private-market rates (non-VWO providers) are not subsidised, but AIC-approved Voluntary Welfare Organisations offer significantly lower out-of-pocket costs after MOH funding. The MOH portable subsidy via household income per person means-testing is available for eligible Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents, with subsidy tiers ranging from 15% to 80% based on household income and residency status. Families may also apply for the Home Caregiving Grant (HCG), which provides S$200–S$400 per month to support caregiving costs at home. See our subsidy guide for full details.
Frequently asked questions
What does a home personal care worker do?
A home personal care worker assists with Activities of Daily Living (ADLs): bathing, dressing, grooming, toilet assistance, feeding, mobility and transfers (such as bed to wheelchair), and light housekeeping. They do not perform clinical nursing tasks such as wound dressing, catheter care, or medication injections — those require a qualified home nurse.
Is home personal care subsidised in Singapore?
Yes. MOH subsidies are available through the household income per person means-testing framework for Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents using AIC-approved VWO providers. Eligible individuals can receive subsidies of up to 80% on approved services. The Home Caregiving Grant (HCG) of S$200–S$400 per month is also available to families caring for a dependent with permanent moderate disability. Call AIC CareLine at 1800-650-6060 to check eligibility.
How do I arrange home personal care?
You can self-refer by contacting an AIC-approved home care provider directly, ask your hospital's medical social worker to arrange a referral (especially after a hospital discharge), or call the AIC CareLine at 1800-650-6060. AIC can conduct a care needs assessment and help match you to a suitable provider in your area. Many polyclinics can also facilitate referrals.
Is hiring a licensed caregiver the same as hiring a foreign domestic worker (FDW)?
They overlap but are meaningfully different. A MOH-licensed home personal care provider deploys workers with formal elder care training, professional liability insurance, and regulatory oversight under AIC. A Foreign Domestic Worker (FDW) is employed directly by the family under MOM regulations and is not subject to the same standardised care training. Many families use both — an FDW for daily companionship and routine tasks, and a licensed caregiver for more specialised personal care.
How does home personal care compare to moving to a nursing home?
Home personal care lets the senior remain in familiar surroundings and is generally suited to those with low-to-moderate ADL dependency. Nursing homes provide 24-hour residential care with on-site nursing and medical support, making them more appropriate for seniors with complex medical needs, advanced dementia, or high care dependency. A geriatrician, your hospital's medical social worker, or an AIC care manager can help assess which setting is right for your family.
Does CareShield Life cover home personal care costs?
Yes — indirectly. CareShield Life pays a monthly cash benefit when the insured is assessed as unable to perform at least three of six ADLs. This cash benefit is not restricted to nursing homes; it can be used to pay for home personal care, foreign domestic worker levy and salary, or any other long-term care expense the family chooses. Payouts start at around S$600 per month for the 2020 cohort and increase each year. ElderShield policyholders (pre-2020) operate under different but related terms.
What happens if care needs increase over time?
Home personal care can often be scaled up — more visit hours, a live-in arrangement, or the addition of home nursing for clinical needs. If care needs become too complex for the home setting (for example, the senior requires 24-hour skilled nursing or has severe behavioural symptoms of dementia), the care team or AIC can help transition to a more intensive option such as a community hospital, dementia day care, or nursing home placement.