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Respite care at home in Singapore

Respite care at home with us starts at S$35 an hour for personal care with basic nursing and S$45 an hour for skilled nursing, with a four-hour minimum; an overnight shift is S$420–540. Someone comes to your flat and takes over, so you can sleep, go to your own appointment, or leave the house without a plan. Nobody has to move anywhere.

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At home, not in a facility

Most of what comes up when people search for respite care in Singapore is a short stay in a nursing home. That is a real option and for some families it is the right one. But it means packing a bag, moving your parent out of their own bed, and settling them somewhere unfamiliar — and for someone with dementia, or someone who has just come out of hospital, the disruption can cost more than the rest is worth.

Respite at home is the other answer. The routine stays exactly as it is. The bed, the chair, the view out of the window, the times things happen. What changes is who is doing it, for a few hours or a few nights.

What the cover actually includes

  • Personal care — washing, dressing, toileting, changing
  • Meals, feeding, and help with drinking
  • Supervision and company, including for someone who wanders or is unsettled in the evening
  • Medication at the right times, given by a nurse where that is required
  • Clinical care where it is needed — tube feeds and flushes, catheter and stoma care, wound dressings, suctioning, turning and pressure relief
  • A written handover when the shift ends, so nothing gets lost between carers

What it costs

  • Personal care + basic nursing — S$35 / hour, 4-hour minimum
  • Skilled nursing care (hourly) — S$45 / hour, 4-hour minimum
  • Overnight shift — S$420–540 for 10 to 12 hours. See overnight nursing.

Consumables are charged at supplier cost with no markup. The booking fees published on our pricing page apply in the same way as they do to any other visit: same-day bookings and off-island addresses carry a named fee, and nothing is added that we have not told you about first.

Subsidised respite, and when it is the better route

The Agency for Integrated Care runs a Home-based Respite Care scheme, and nursing-home respite is available through SupportGoWhere. Both are means-tested, both are for Singapore Citizens and PRs, and both can involve a wait. If you qualify, they will be cheaper than we are and we will say so. Private respite starts immediately, which is why families often use it to bridge the gap while an application is being processed. Our subsidies page sets out what else you may be able to claim.

If you have got to the point of searching for this

Carer exhaustion is not a failure of devotion and it is not rare. Broken sleep over months, no gap in the day, and no one else who knows the routine well enough to be left with it — that wears anyone down, and the person you are caring for is better off with a carer who has slept. Booking a few hours is a reasonable thing to do, not a last resort.

If what you need is regular help rather than occasional cover, a home nurse or a live-in helper may work out better, and the comparison is worth doing properly before you commit to anything.

How it works

  1. 1

    Call or enquire

    Tell us what care is needed and where. We confirm the visit and the price up front.

  2. 2

    A nurse visits

    An SNB-registered nurse comes to your home at a time that suits you and carries out the care.

  3. 3

    Written summary

    You get a written summary to share with the patient's doctor, and we plan any repeat visits.

Frequently asked questions

How much does respite care at home cost in Singapore?
With us, S$35 an hour for personal care with basic nursing and S$45 an hour for skilled nursing, with a four-hour minimum. An overnight shift runs S$420–540 for 10 to 12 hours. Subsidised home-based respite care is also available through the Agency for Integrated Care for eligible families, and it is cheaper if you qualify.
What is the difference between respite care at home and a nursing home short stay?
A nursing-home respite stay means moving the person into a facility for a period, typically charged per night. Respite care at home means someone comes to your flat and takes over while your parent stays in their own bed. For someone with dementia or an established routine, not moving them is often the difference between a restful week and a difficult one.
Can I book respite care for just one day?
Yes. There is no package lock-in. Many families book a single four-hour block, a weekly afternoon, or a short run of days around a work trip or a hospital appointment of their own.
Do I need a nurse or a caregiver?
If the hours involve medication, a feeding tube, a catheter, a wound or suctioning, you need a registered nurse. If they involve company, meals, toileting, washing and supervision, a caregiver is the right fit and costs less. Tell us what the day actually looks like and we will say which one you need, including when the cheaper option is the correct one.
Is there government help with respite care?
Yes. The Agency for Integrated Care runs a Home-based Respite Care scheme, and nursing-home respite is available through SupportGoWhere. Both are means-tested and for Singapore Citizens and PRs, and there can be a wait. Private respite starts immediately. Many families use private cover to bridge the gap while an application is processed.
Will the same person come each time?
We try to keep continuity, because it matters a great deal to someone with dementia and it saves you re-explaining the routine. We cannot guarantee it for every booking, and we will tell you in advance if the usual person is not available.

Tell us which hours are the hard ones

Describe the day — or the night — and we will tell you whether you need a nurse or a carer, and what it will cost, before you commit to anything.