Retirement Homes offered in Singapore

Singapore is recognised as one of the fastest aging countries in the world. According to the United Nations, by 2050, 47% of Singapore’s population will come from aged 65 and above.

As the nation ages, more retirement lifestyle options are made available in the market. Singapore’s retirement homes market offers a few alternatives, such as nursing homes, retirement villages, or assisted living apartments. A few years back, the only idea people had of senior quarters outside of living with family members was the nursing homes. These compounds were painted by society with concepts for the frail, ill and lonely seniors.

However, with the nation putting more emphasis on the idea of ‘graceful aging’, multiple new ideas of retirement homes sprang out. Multiple senior apartments and retirement villages were introduced with the perception of providing a fun and safe haven for our senior community. The following content will bring out a few distinct projects in the market.

Public Sector projects

The Singapore government is placing more emphasis on the aging community. Eight government agencies were put together to spearhead Kampung Admiralty, a distinctive one-stop integrated hub, to roof all ages with a dedicated zone for the elderly. The first ‘retirement kampung’ located in admiralty was completed by the government in 2017. It is a 2 storey block HDB, designed to be elderly-friendly and self-contained with many amenities to facilitate a lively community, bringing back the kampung spirit. The prices range from SGD 91,000 to SGD 115,000 for a 30-year lease.

Following the success of the first project, the public sector has decided to push out its second project, a new type of public housing with elderly-friendly features. Building on experience from the prior project, much flexibility was introduced through subscribable care services and lease increments of 5 years per increment and a starting minimum 15-years lease period. Situated at Bukit Batok, these assisted living senior flats were announced earlier in December 2020, catering for aged 65 and above. They are purchased through Built-To-Order (BTO), similar to Kampung Admiralty. However, they differ slightly as buyers are not allowed to resold or rented out to another party. If owners no longer wish to retain the flats, they may opt to return to HDB and receive a refund on the remaining lease balance. Depending on the length of the leases of choice, indicative upfront flat prices range from SGD 62,000 to SGD 124,000.

Private Sector projects

In December 2015, the very first retirement village concept was imported to nestle in the prime Bukit Timah district. Named St Bernadette Lifestyle Village (Bukit Timah), this assisted living facility houses up to eight residents and operates to help seniors live independently. Services provided include breakfast, housekeeping, and laundry services. To date, St Bernadette marks its presence in 3 locations, situated in Bukit Timah, Adam Road, and Sembawang respectively. The facility charges from SGD 3000 to 5000 per month.

Delving deeper into the luxury supply, Allium Care Suites is a development not to be missed. Sitting on a 30 years tenure plot, it categorises itself as a nursing home that positions more like private residential living quarters, providing living support to seniors. Monthly rates for single occupancy start from SGD 3,500 to SGD 7000.

Mentioning nursing homes, most people may think of Orange Valley Nursing Home which is one of the largest private nursing home operators in Singapore. As of 2018, they opened their sixth facility and can provide for over 1000 beds. The latest opened sixth home offers short-term stays as well as step-down care options for when personal caregivers are not available. They look into providing rehabilitation services and are the very first private nursing home to provide outpatient rehabilitation services. The monthly cost of staying ranges from SGD 3500 to SGD 9900, depending on the bedding option chosen.

Apex Harmony Lodge is another unique nursing home to be informed on. They are the first purpose-built facility to house dementia elderly. They have a care model structured around the dementia seniors to embrace the different stages of dementia. There are 3 main care homes, namely Assisted Living, Supported Living, and Tender Loving Care, catering for different needs and stages of dementia elderlies. Cost of staying ranges from SGD 3150 to SGD 3400 per month.

Other than the above mentioned, there are many known and outstanding nursing homes, such as Lee Ah Mooi Old Age Home, Peacehaven Nursing Home, All Saints Home, Apex Harmony Lodge, and the list goes on.

Across all senior care projects, challenges are faced, largely due to the fact attributing to the involvement of seniors with different range of abilities, cognitive issues as well as communication needs. Henceforth, facility operation designs are crucial and require many thoughts put into the development concept practicality and functionality. However, give a quick scan and search on the web, one would probably feel more at ease about their retirement planning. Current readily available options in the market are abundant and new products are continuously being offered. Though an aging society is prominent and carries a more negative connotation, our society is preparing well for it by exploring many different senior care operation structures to be introduced.