- What is Home Help Service?
- What does Home Help Service entail?
- What are the eligibility criteria?
- How do I apply for Home Help Service?
- How much does Home Help Service cost?
- Who are the service providers?
- Where can I go to apply or get myself referred?
1. What is Home Help Service?
Home Help Service caters to frail seniors aged 55 and above who are homebound. It enables seniors to carry on living in their own homes for as long as possible, by supporting their family members or caregivers in providing daily care of them. There are five components under Home Help Service – meals on wheels, personal hygiene, housekeeping, transport, and laundry service. The Centre for Enabled Living (CEL) is the referring agency for Home Help Service.
2. What does Home Help Service entail?
Meals on wheels: Meals such as lunch and/or dinner are delivered to frail and homebound seniors. This service is provided on weekends and public holidays. Halal food is also available at some service providers.
Personal hygiene: Frail and homebound seniors will be assisted in bathing once or twice a week.
Housekeeping: Basic household maintenance can be carried out once a week for frail and homebound seniors who are unable to maintain the cleanliness of their homes.
Transport: An escort or transport service will be provided to bring frail and homebound seniors who have non-emergency follow-up medical appointments to and from the hospital or clinic.
Laundry: Frail and homebound seniors will receive assistance in washing their clothes.
3. What are the eligibility criteria?
Home Help Service caters to seniors who are Singapore Citizens or Permanent Residents aged 55 and above. The senior should be living alone, with another frail senior, or with a caregiver who is unable to be at home during the day. The senior should require assistance with his Activities of Daily Living (ADLs), which are bathing, feeding, toileting, transferring, dressing, and mobility. To be eligible for transport services, the senior should require regular medical check-ups and follow-ups at a hospital or clinic.
Applicants who are below 55 will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
4. How do I apply for Home Help Service?
Home Help Service is rendered through referrals to CEL by social or medical touchpoints in the community. Social touchpoints refer to voluntary welfare organisations, family service centres, and community development councils. Medical touchpoints refer to general practitioners, clinics, polyclinics, or hospitals.
To facilitate the referral process, the applicant’s social report and medical history (such as the latest in-patient discharge summary or doctor’s memo) should be submitted together with the
referral form.
5. How much does Home Help Service cost?
The referral service by CEL is complimentary. The cost of engaging Home Help Service, which is paid to the respective service provider, depends on the applicant’s family income and means-testing.
6. Who are the service providers?
CEL’s Home Help Service partners are:
- Bethesda Care & Counselling Services Centre
- Dorcas Home Care
- Moral Home Help (East)
- Moral Home Help (West)
- Sunlove Home Help
- SWAMI Home Help
- Tembusu Home Help
- TOUCH Home Care
7. Where can I go to apply or get myself referred?
You may go to any restructured hospital or community hospital, if you already have medical records there. You may also go to any VWO, FSC or CDC.