Home Personal Care (HPC+) in Singapore 2026: A Caregiver's Guide to the New Scheme, Community Nursing and Home Care Supplies
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In 2026, Singapore officially crossed the threshold to become a super-aged society — meaning more than 21% of the population is aged 65 and above. Health Minister Ong Ye Kung first projected this milestone in 2023, and with the senior share rising about one percentage point each year, the country has now reached it. For the hundreds of thousands of families caring for an elderly parent or spouse at home, this demographic shift is not an abstract statistic. It is the daily reality of dressing a wound, managing medications, preventing falls, and keeping a loved one comfortable and dignified at home.
To support these families, the Ministry of Health (MOH) and the Agency for Integrated Care (AIC) have expanded home- and community-based care. One of the most important changes for caregivers in 2026 is the enhanced Home Personal Care (HPC+) scheme. This guide explains what HPC+ is, who qualifies, what community nursing now offers, and how to prepare a practical, safe home-care supply kit.
What is the enhanced Home Personal Care (HPC+) scheme?
Home Personal Care (HPC) has long provided trained care staff who visit a senior's home to help with activities of daily living — bathing, grooming, feeding, toileting, mobility and simple nursing tasks. From 1 April 2026, AIC opened enrolment in the enhanced version, HPC+, to all eligible seniors with care needs. The enhancement broadens the range of support a senior can receive at home and is designed to reduce avoidable hospital visits by bringing more care to the doorstep.
For caregivers, the value of HPC+ is twofold: it lightens the physical and emotional load of full-time caregiving, and it provides professional oversight so that small problems — a reddening pressure area, a poorly fitting stoma appliance, a missed medication — are caught early before they become emergencies at SGH, NUH, TTSH or CGH.
Who provides care under Singapore's new community model?
HPC+ sits within a wider shift toward team-based community care. Under MOH's Healthier SG strategy, residents are increasingly supported by community care teams made up of community nurses, health coaches, therapists, pharmacists and dieticians, working closely with General Practitioners (GPs) and hospitals. Through enhanced Community Health Posts (CHPs), seniors can now access basic health assessments such as vital-signs monitoring and fall-risk assessments, medication review and counselling, nutrition care, and dedicated caregiver support.
Specialist care is also moving closer to home. From end-March 2026, Woodlands Health began offering specialist-supported community care, with the first services targeting patients with diabetes and asthma through enhanced CHPs and teleconsultation. For a caregiver, this means a parent with diabetes may be able to have their feet screened and wounds reviewed without every visit requiring a hospital appointment.
How does this affect home wound care and chronic disease?
Diabetes remains one of Singapore's biggest health challenges, and diabetic foot ulcers are a leading cause of avoidable hospital admission and lower-limb complications. Active clinical programmes at National Healthcare Group Polyclinics, Singapore General Hospital and Sengkang General Hospital are studying better ways to manage diabetic foot wounds, including negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT). MOH has also developed an AI screening model, adapted to the local context, that flags patients at high risk of developing diabetes or high cholesterol — with a planned rollout to Healthier SG doctors from early 2027.
For families, the practical message is clear: good home wound care matters. Whether your community nurse visits twice a week or daily, the wound still needs the right dressing in between visits, clean technique, and prompt escalation if it shows signs of infection — increasing redness, warmth, swelling, odour or discharge. Never improvise on a complex or non-healing wound; always follow the plan set by your wound care nurse or doctor.
What should a home-care supply kit contain?
Community nursing covers the skilled tasks, but day-to-day a household still needs the right supplies on hand. A practical Singapore home-care kit usually includes:
- Wound care: saline or antimicrobial wound cleanser, primary and secondary dressings appropriate to the wound, sterile gauze, fixation tape, and clean gloves.
- Skin and pressure-injury prevention: barrier creams, repositioning support, and gentle cleansers to protect fragile skin in bedbound or chair-bound seniors.
- Continence and stoma care: the correct pouches, baseplates, skin barriers and adhesive removers for ostomates, plus continence products sized correctly for comfort and dignity.
- Mobility and safety: non-slip aids, and equipment that lowers fall risk — a key focus of the new CHP fall-risk assessments.
- Monitoring basics: a thermometer and, where advised, a blood-pressure monitor or blood-glucose meter so readings can be shared with the care team.
Buying from a nurse-led supplier helps you choose the right product rather than guessing — a poorly matched dressing or stoma appliance is a common, avoidable cause of skin breakdown and leaks.
How do I pay for home care in Singapore?
Home- and community-based care can draw on several support schemes; eligibility and subsidy levels depend on means-testing and the specific service. Seniors with chronic conditions can also withdraw more from MediSave for outpatient chronic-disease management, reflecting the rising cost of long-term care in a super-aged society. To confirm what you qualify for under HPC+ and related subsidies, contact AIC or speak with the medical social worker at your hospital or polyclinic — they can match your family's situation to the right scheme.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did HPC+ enrolment open in Singapore?
Enrolment in the enhanced Home Personal Care (HPC+) service opened on 1 April 2026, with all eligible seniors who have care needs able to apply through the Agency for Integrated Care (AIC).
What is the difference between HPC+ and a private caregiver?
HPC+ is a government-supported, subsidised home-care service coordinated with Singapore's community care teams and hospitals, providing trained care staff and access to community nursing oversight. A privately hired caregiver works for your family directly and is not part of this coordinated, subsidised model. Many families combine both.
Does HPC+ provide wound care and medical supplies?
HPC+ and community nurses provide skilled care and guidance, but families are generally responsible for stocking everyday consumables such as dressings, continence and stoma products. Your nurse will advise which products suit your loved one, and you can source them from a medical supply store such as EMIS+ at emis.asia.
How do I know if a home wound needs urgent attention?
Seek prompt advice if a wound shows increasing redness, warmth, swelling, foul odour, new or worsening pain, or discharge, or if the person develops a fever. For diabetic foot wounds especially, do not wait — contact your community nurse, GP, or polyclinic, or go to a hospital such as SGH, NUH or TTSH if you are worried.
Where can I get help choosing home-care supplies in Singapore?
EMIS+ is a nurse-led Singapore medical supply store offering wound care, stoma, continence and home medical equipment with fast island-wide delivery. Our team can help you build a home-care kit that matches your care plan. Visit emis.asia or contact us for guidance.
This article is for general education and does not replace personalised medical advice. Always follow the care plan provided by your doctor, community nurse or other qualified healthcare professional in Singapore.