Ageing in Place

Ms Anthea Ong asked the Minister for Health (a) what is the percentage of persons over 65 years of age who want to age in place; and (b) what is the percentage of care-givers of persons over the age of 65 years who want to see their care recipients age in place.

Most seniors prefer to age in place for as long as they can, within communities which they are familiar with, and supported by their loved ones. A study by the Duke-NUS Centre for Ageing Research and Education (CARE) conducted from 2011 to 2012 found that 97.9% of persons aged 65 and above prefer to continue staying at home if they cannot live independently, supported by family, foreign domestic workers, or home care services. Only 2.1% of persons aged 65 and above preferred to move to a nursing home if they cannot live independently. We are not aware of corresponding data on the preferences of care-givers.