Households with One Person Requiring Adult Diapers on Regular Basis and Median Expenditure and Financial Support Available for Such Purchases

Dr Tan Wu Meng asked the Minister for Health (a) from 2020 to 2021, how many households in Singapore had at least one person requiring adult diapers on a regular basis; (b) what is the median expenditure on adult diapers per person; and (c) what financial support is available for families of limited means to purchase adult diapers.

MOH does not track the number of households in Singapore with at least one person requiring adult diapers on a regular basis. However, seniors requiring adult diapers can apply for subsidies, through the Seniors’ Mobility and Enabling Fund (SMF). Eligible seniors can receive up to 80% subsidy, up to the maximum annual subsidy cap. In 2021, more than 6,100 seniors applied for SMF for home healthcare items, of which about 5,700 applied for adult diapers. For these applicants, the median expenditure per person for the nine-month period between April and December 2021 was around $400 before subsidy.