The Big Read: With more seniors needing care, is assisted living the answer for S'pore's 'missing middle' and their caregivers?

- junio 30, 2023

With more seniors needing care, is assisted living the answer for S'pore's 'missing middle' and their caregivers?

By Renald Loh, Navene Elangovan

With Singapore society ageing rapidly, one particular eldercare option has sprung up in recent years — community or assisted living to help seniors with basic daily activities

They are being touted as a possible solution for the "missing middle" — seniors who cannot live independently but are not too ill to be cared for in nursing homes

But experts, industry players and caregivers pointed to various factors on why assisted living services has not taken off faster, including costs, regulatory ambiguities and manpower shortages

At the same time, there are different challenges in expanding other caregiving services such as foreign domestic helpers and day care centres

Experts believe that the right way forward is a shift in approach from reactive to preventive measures in eldercare, and more sustainable public-private partnerships