Abandonment of Residents at Nursing Homes

Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament

Mr Leon Perera
Non-Constituency MP

Question No. 1018

To ask the Minister for Health (a) for each year from 2011 till 2016, how many residents in nursing homes were abandoned by their next-of-kin and how many were unable to pay for their bills; (b) what is the typical procedure that nursing home operators follow in such cases; and (c) how are the operators of nursing homes assisted by the government in dealing with the cases.

Oral Answer

1 We do not specifically track the number of nursing home residents who are abandoned by their families.

2 When families fail to visit, nursing home staff will try to re-establish contact. They may try to contact family members, or visit them at their last known addresses, to encourage them to visit their loved ones.

3 The Government provides means-tested subsidies of up to 75% of nursing home costs. Residents who require additional assistance can tap on financial assistance schemes such as Medifund. Many nursing homes are also run by voluntary welfare organisations, and may tap on charitable donations to provide further financial support to their residents. Nursing homes can also provide assistance to eligible residents to seek legal recourse under the Maintenance of Parents Act if they wish to do so.