Development of New Senior Care Centres

Ms Lee Li Lian asked the Minister for Health with regard to the development of 39 new Senior Care Centres by 2016 (a) how many have opened so far; (b) what is the expected timeline for the remaining Senior Care Centres to be completed; (c) who are the operators of these Senior Care Centres; and (d) how are the locations of these Senior Care Centres chosen.

Last September, the Government announced plans to develop 39 Senior Care Centres (SCCs) by 2016. These centres are integrated day eldercare facilities that provide a range of aged care services, such as day care, dementia day care, day rehabilitation and basic nursing services.

In the past year, we have opened three new SCCs9 – one each in the Central, Eastern and Northern regions. Three more SCCs will open within the next six months. These centres are operated mainly by voluntary welfare organisations or social enterprises. The remaining centres are expected to be completed by 2016.

The SCCs will be located within the community to be more accessible to seniors, taking into consideration several factors, such as the demographic profile in the area, the supply of and demand for eldercare services in the area, and the availability of suitable sites. We also consider whether the sites are accessible by public transport and have barrier-free access features.

We are also working with existing established providers of eldercare day services to expand their centres into full-fledged SCCs to provide a

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comprehensive range of services under one roof, where space allows. For new centres built by the Government, we will select operators based on a number of criteria, such as their proposed model of care and track record in providing aged care.