Assisi Hospice to help 50% more palliative home care patients a year by end-2026

Assisi Hospice is planning to increase its patient capacity for palliative home care services by 50 per cent within the next two years, in anticipation of an increase in demand for the service due to Singapore's ageing population.

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It aims to assist 3,000 home care patients a year by end-2026, up from 2,058 patients in 2023, said Assisi Hospice chief executive Choo Shiu Ling on June 9 on the sidelines of Assisi Fun Day.

The hospice's biggest fund-raising event of the year was held at SJI International School in Thomson Road.

"The whole palliative care sector is trying to ramp up its service. It is in anticipation of the ageing population and more need (for such services) in the next two to four years," Ms Choo said, noting that one in four citizens will be aged 65 and above by 2030.

Palliative home care is typically for patients who have a prognosis of one year or less, and wish to die at home.

Assisi Hospice now serves about 600 home care patients at any one time, up from 550 in 2023. In 2016, its capacity was 150. The hospice aims to increase this number to 800 by 2026, said Ms Choo.

In March, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung announced that the total palliative home care capacity in Singapore will be increased to 3,600 by end-2025, up by 50 per cent from the current 2,400.