Ageing in Place

1 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.

Mr Gan Kim Yong: 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.