Sending your loved ones to a nursing home can be an emotionally wrenching decision.

But with a small property and no one at home during the weekdays, it may sometimes be the best (or only) plan of action if you need to take care of elderly who need assistance with daily chores.

Furthermore, given the size of Singapore, it's easy to visit them as often as you wish to.

If that's what you and your family have decided to do but are at a loss of where to start, here's a detailed 101 guide to nursing homes in Singapore, their cost, and steps to apply.

Nursing homes in Singapore

Nursing homes are long-term residential care facilities where elderly can receive assistance in daily life activities.

As opposed to a daycare centre or a community home where elderly live together but are otherwise largely independent, nursing homes are for elderly who need assistance in things like going to the toilet, showering, eating and walking.

Usually, there will be professional nursing care that will take care of medical needs ranging from changing urine catheters to dressing wounds, as well as exercises and games with other elderly.

If your elderly parents or grandparents are suffering from mental conditions such as dementia or psychiatric conditions, nursing homes can be safe havens where someone will be on the constant lookout for them, and they can go through cognitive stimulation programmes and activities to slow down the loss of mental capacity.

Nursing homes that offer long-term advanced medical care for terminally ill patients are broadly categorised under hospice care.

If a senior citizen only requires short-term medical care, a community hospital with the right rehabilitative facilities might be more suitable.

How much do nursing homes in Singapore cost?

According to NTUC Income, the general cost for nursing homes is around $1,200 to $4,500 a month before government subsidy, which ranges from 10 per cent to 75 per cent.

This cost varies based on the number of people sharing a bedroom, the level of care required, and whether the patient is a Singapore citizen or a PR.

For those who opt for private single-bed rooms, it will cost around $4,000 to $6,500 a month. There are also additional variable charges (where applicable) such as adult diapers, special feeds, ambulance services, therapy sessions and so on.

There are two main types of nursing homes in Singapore - private ones and those which are considered Voluntary Welfare Organisations (VWO).

READ ALSO: 5 criteria to consider when picking the right nursing home for your parents

Since April 2003, MOH has extended subsidies to elderly people who are admitted into accredited private nursing homes and who meet the criteria. Thus, the subsidy scheme isn't as straightforward as simply applicable for VWO nursing homes and not applicable for private nursing homes.

Private ones like Orange Valley may have branches that are eligible for MOH subsidies, while VWO nursing homes such as All Saints Home (certain branches) could be not covered under the MOH subsidy scheme.

These non-profit nursing homes are funded through their own fund-raising efforts and offer their own financial assistance schemes to elderly people who can't afford the fees.

Most of the nursing homes in this category will require you to be referred by AIC or a hospital social worker. In 2019, the price ranges $700 - $2,418 after subsidy.

Most recently in 2022, my grandmother was admitted to the Lee Ah Mooi Old Age Home for its nursing facilities by the hospital. Prices ranged from $524 to $1,720 per month after subsidies, depending on the outcome of your means testing procedure.

List of nursing homes in Singapore

There are 86 nursing homes in Singapore. We've listed down some popular choices below in a list. However, this is not the full list of nursing homes available.

We have included the last known prices they charged in the past three years. These ballpark figures we have collected over the years are meant to help common folks like you and I budget and plan for our parents' or grandparents' care, and should not be taken as absolute.

Again, based on your household's means testing, you may receive a slightly higher or lower quotation.

If you may have updated figures, please contact us and let us know. Gamxia, xiexie, Nandri, Terima Kasih:

1. Grace Lodge
2. All Saints Home
3. Jamiyah Nursing Home
4. Lion's Home for the Elders
5. Ren Ci Nursing Home
6. Assisi Hospice ($8,850 before subsidy)
7. Kwong Wai Shiu Hospital ($1,460 - $2,407 before subsidy)
8. St. Andrew's Nursing Home ($1,300 - $2,300 before subsidy)
9. NTUC Health Nursing Home ($2,000 - $3,500 before subsidy)
10. Apex Harmony Lodge ($3,150 - $3,400 before subsidy)
11. Econ Medicare Centre and Nursing Home ($1,200 - $4,500 before subsidy)
12. Orange Valley Nursing Home ($1,200 - $4,500 before subsidy)
13. Lee Ah Mooi Old Age Home ($524 to $1,720 after subsidy)
14. Charis Manor Nursing Home
15. Pacific Healthcare Nursing Home
16. Allium Care Suites
17. Bright Hill Evergreen Home
18. MWS Bethany Nursing Home
19. Soo's Nursing Home (Sixth Ave)
20. Vanguard Healthcare (Pearl's Hill, Woodlands, Tampines, Bukit Batok, Senja)
21. Our Lady of Lourdes Nursing Home ($1,500 to $2,000 per month)
22. United Medicare Centre (Toa Payoh, Elizabeth Drive, Queensway)
23. St. John's St. Magaret's Nursing Home (Dover)
24. The Man Fut Tong Nursing Home (Woodlands)
25. St. Joseph's Home (Jurong)
26. Vanda Nursing Home (Tampines)
27. LC Nursing Home (Siglap)
28. Sree Narayana Mission - Yishun ($2,100 to $3,100 before subsidy)
29. Ling Kwang Home (Serangoon)
30. St. Theresa's Home (Upper Thomson)
31. Sunlove/ Surya Home (Buangkok)
32. Thye Hua Kwan (THK) Nursing Home (Hougang)
33. Windsor Convalescent Home (Pasir Panjang)
34. Peacehaven Nursing Home by The Salvation Army (Upper Changi)
35. Sunnyville Nursing Home (East Coast)
36. Good Shepherd Loft (Bukit Timah)
37. Banyan Home (Buangkok)
38. Villa Francis Home (Yishun)
39. Meranti Home (Buangkok)
40. Thuja Home (Buangkok)
41. Dotage Nursing Home (Tuas)
42. St Luke's ElderCare

If your grandparents don't qualify for a nursing home, you can employ medical and personal nursing help from Homage or Ming Home Nursing ($320 to $450 per day for 24-hour care).

How do you get a nursing home subsidy?

To get a subsidy for a nursing home, one must first be a Singapore Citizen or a Permanent Resident.

One must also meet the means test criteria and be already receiving care from a MOH-funded service provider.

The means test is based on the following factors:

• Gross income of the person who needs care and his/her direct family
• Totally number of family members living under the same household
• Annual value of the place of residence

There are different levels of subsidies for different income groups. The table below shows the subsidies for patients in a nursing home/hospice.

How to apply for a nursing home in Singapore

One of the key criteria for choosing a nursing home is the location.

It's best to find a nursing home nearer to home for ease of visiting. You can find a list of nursing homes in Singapore using the E-care locator on HealthHub.

To be eligible for enrolment into a nursing home, an elderly person must be:

• Physically or mentally disabled due to illness
• Have difficulty with walking – either reliant on a wheelchair or is bedbound, and therefore need assistance with daily activities like going to the toilet.
• Unable to be cared for at home by family members or a caregiver and have tried other care alternatives like home nursing services or daycare.
• Eligible for a means test (an assessment to check the household monthly income per person) for MOH subsidies

To apply for a VWO nursing home, you should get a referral from a Medical Social Worker of a hospital or a polyclinic.

The Social Worker will then assist you to submit the referral and an application to the Agency for Integrated Care (AIC), which is a government agency that manages the availability of VWO nursing homes in Singapore.

This will allow you to be eligible for government subsidies (if applicable to the nursing home) after a means test has been conducted.

Another way is to apply directly with the preferred private nursing home where you would be paying private nursing rates.

This article was first published in MoneySmart.