Home caregiver in Singapore: live-in, part-time or hourly

Short answerFor care at home there are three official routes. You can hire a live-in domestic helper; MOM says helpers need specialised training to provide quality care for elderly family members. You can book part-time basic elder-minding from a company on MOM's Household Services Scheme (HSS). Or you can use AIC's Enhanced Home Personal Care (HPC+), where trained care professionals visit by the hour or in 4-hour blocks. A live-in helper from abroad needs MOM's Work Permit for migrant domestic worker (MDW), which MOM's key facts page says is for 'foreigners employed as domestic helpers in Singapore'. For short breaks, AIC lists respite care services, which it describes as 'short-term, temporary care options' for a break from caregiving or for extra help from time to time, such as when your helper goes on home leave.

This guide compares the ways to get care for a parent or other family member at home, using MOM's and AIC's own pages. Where the two bodies describe the same service, each description is shown as theirs. For day care, nursing homes and other services outside the home, see elderly care options.

The three routes at a glance

A live-in helper for caregiving

MOM calls hiring a helper a serious commitment, and lists financial ability, suitable accommodation and the right supervision as factors to consider first. On caregiving, MOM says:

• It takes more skills. Caregiving for seniors is more complex than household chores: she may need to help an elderly person move around or transfer from bed to a wheelchair, change adult diapers or help with medication.
• Training. It may be beneficial to send her for specialised training. MOM points to AIC's Caregivers Training Grant, which it says lets caregivers, including helpers, attend approved courses.
• Her side. Check that she is comfortable with the arrangement. For an existing helper, discuss the new duties and the training; for a new hire, go through her biodata and employment history for experience caring for elders, and tell candidates about your needs in the interview.

For the levy concession, grants and what to tell an agency, see hiring a helper for elderly care. If you are eligible for the concessionary levy, you can also look at MOM's Advance Placement Scheme, a pilot that MOM says was proposed to enable faster placement and better matching of helpers for employers with caregiving needs.

Part-time elder-minding through the HSS

For more on part-time help in general, see part-time helpers.

• MOM's description. Selected HSS companies can hire more migrant workers to provide basic elder-minding services. MOM says HSS services are intended to cater to households who intermittently need additional help with basic elder-minding, and that you should approach specialised caregiving companies if a higher level of care is required, such as home nursing or home medical services.
• MOM's checks. Ask the provider for the experience, qualification and training of the worker deployed, and assess whether the worker suits your household's care needs. MOM also advises having a member of the household present to supervise, especially the first time.
• AIC's description. AIC says the HSS suits households that need part-time help with domestic tasks, such as a few hours a day or week, or are looking for basic elder-minding. Its Take a Break page adds that while the HSS provides basic elder-minding support, it is not suitable for households who require dedicated eldercare services.
• Finding a company. MOM publishes a list of HSS companies for elder-minding (accurate as of 15 March 2026). AIC says to check costs with the HSS companies directly.

Hourly care at home: AIC's HPC+

AIC says Enhanced Home Personal Care (HPC+) provides help with daily or personal care activities at home.

• Who it is for. Seniors and clients who need help with daily or personal care tasks because they are unable to do it themselves, do not have a caregiver, or their caregivers need support or a break.
• What trained care professionals do. Help with personal care such as feeding, dressing, toileting, washing, walking and transferring between bed and chair, including simple wound dressing and stoma care; help with medication; activities for mental stimulation; simple exercises prescribed by a therapist; routine support such as check-ins and errands; responding to falls through digital devices at home; and household chores.
• How it is booked. By the hour, choosing the combination of services you need, or in 4-hour blocks for more intensive care or a temporary break from caregiving. AIC says the length of each session can be discussed with your selected service provider.
• Subsidies. AIC says your loved one must be a Singapore citizen or PR to qualify, and that subsidies are means-tested. It says the final cost varies depending on the combination of services used.
• Applying. Talk to the doctor at the hospital or polyclinic, as an assessment is needed, and they can help with referrals. An AIC Link can also help with the application.

MOM's page on alternatives to hiring a helper, last updated 20 May 2025, describes this kind of help under its earlier name, Home Personal Care services: help from trained care professionals with activities of daily living such as baths and light housekeeping, medication, or other care tasks.

Short breaks and respite at home

• Home-based respite. AIC says that from 1 April 2026, if you need home-based respite care services, you can apply for HPC+. AIC describes its Home-based Respite Care as a short-term support service for caregivers whose loved ones are receiving home palliative care, including compassionate discharge patients. MOM's alternatives page, from May 2025, says Home-based Respite Care may provide suitable support if you require more intensive care for a limited period.
• AIC's respite list. AIC describes respite care services as short-term, temporary options for when you want a break from caregiving or need extra help from time to time, such as when your helper goes on home leave. At home, it lists the HSS and HPC+; it also lists centre care during the day, and stay-in nursing home respite, which AIC says suits seniors who are physically or mentally disabled because of illness and dependent on caregivers for daily care needs, families who are unable to care for seniors at home, and seniors with daily nursing care needs, for a minimum of seven days per stay and up to 30 days per year. See elderly care options for those.
• Live-in care and short breaks. A live-in helper from abroad needs MOM's Work Permit for migrant domestic worker (MDW): MOM's key facts page says it is for 'foreigners employed as domestic helpers in Singapore'. For short breaks, AIC lists respite care services, which it describes as 'short-term, temporary care options'. For hiring a live-in helper, see how to hire a maid.

Help with the cost of care at home

AIC's Home Caregiving Grant is a monthly cash payout that it says can be used for care needs, such as hiring a helper, paying for home care services or buying healthcare items. AIC's criteria for the person being cared for:

• a Singapore citizen, or a PR with a parent, child or spouse who is a living Singapore citizen;
• living in Singapore, and not in a residential long-term care institution;
• household monthly income per person of SGD 4,800 or less, or, if there is no household income, an annual value of property under SGD 21,000;
• permanently requiring some assistance with at least three of the six activities of daily living;
• a disability assessment by a GP or an approved healthcare professional using a Functional Assessment Report. For someone with Autism Spectrum Disorder or an Intellectual Disability, needs are determined by an assessor approved by the Ministry of Social and Family Development, using a Client Assessment Form. AIC says the Functional Assessment Report is not needed if you are currently applying for IDAPE, ElderFund, ElderShield, CareShield Life or MediSave Care, as the severe disability assessment is enough.

The payout depends on household income per person and the number of properties owned; see AIC's grant page for the tiers. For caregiver training, stress and support groups, see support for family caregivers.

Sources, checked 18 Oct 2026: MOM, Thinking of hiring an MDW? Here are your options (last updated 20 May 2025); MOM, Is your helper trained to provide caregiving duties?; MOM FAQ, What is the Household Services Scheme; MOM, Companies on the expanded HSS (15 Mar 2026); AIC, Household Services Scheme; AIC, Enhanced Home Personal Care (HPC+); AIC, Home-based Respite Care; AIC, Take a Break; AIC, Home Caregiving Grant; MOM, Advance Placement Scheme; MOM, Key facts on Work Permit for MDW.

Common questions