Incontinence in Senior Citizens

Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament

Er Dr Lee Bee Wah
MP for Nee Soon GRC

Question No. 1879

To ask the Minister for Health (a) how many senior citizens currently suffer from incontinence; (b) what is the average cost to treat this illness; and (c) whether the Ministry will consider providing more subsidies for incontinence treatment so as to enable more senior citizens to seek treatment early.

Answer

1.        We do not have data on the total number of senior citizens suffering from incontinence, as patients could be seeing their doctors for other primary conditions such as urinary infection, prostate problems or post-stroke treatment, which include treatment for incontinence.

2.        Over the past three years, around 2,900 seniors aged 65 years and above received subsidised treatment specifically for incontinence at polyclinics and Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS) General Practitioners (GPs).  This would be a subset of the total number of seniors seeking treatment for incontinence.

3.        Among this group of 2,900 seniors, those who received treatment at the polyclinics paid a median annual cost after subsidies of less than $10 in 2016.  The cost and treatment required for each patient will depend on the nature and severity of his condition. Seniors receive subsidies of up to 75% when they visit polyclinics.

4.        Seniors who require further financial assistance after government subsidies may seek help from the Medical Social Workers at our public healthcare institutions.