Care and Services

Welcome to our repository of information on care and services relating to end-of-life matters in Singapore. Kindly note this is not meant to be an exhaustive list, but a compilation of materials for ease of public access.

All information is correct at the time of publishing.

Palliative care aims to relieve suffering and improve the quality of life for patients and their family members by caring for the “whole-person” physically, emotionally, psychologically and spiritually. Palliative care seeks to support the patient throughout the treatment process. In Singapore, the terms “palliative care” and “hospice care” are used interchangeably.

Palliative care can be provided at home, in nursing homes, hospices, specialist clinics, and general and community hospitals, catering to every patient’s needs. Services provided include home care, daycare, inpatient care and consultative services.

Source: Singapore Hospice Council website

Caring for a dying loved one can often be a physically, emotionally and mentally challenging journey. As a caregiver, you may have to navigate through a range of emotions, logistical challenges, and complex decisions.

These resources aim to provide you with some support, guidance and information on your caregiving journey.

Grief is a complex and individualised emotional response to loss, encompassing a range of feelings such as sadness, anger, guilt, and confusion. Bereavement, on the other hand, refers to the period during which individuals experience and come to terms with their grief after the death of a loved one. Coping with the loss of a loved one can be an emotionally challenging journey, and seeking support is a crucial step towards healing. Understanding the nature of grief and the available support services can empower individuals to cope with loss more effectively.

There are organisations dedicated to offering support and resources to individuals navigating the challenges of grief and bereavement. These organisations provide various services, including counselling, support groups, and educational resources to help individuals cope with loss. Please refer to this page for a list of organisations that provide grief and bereavement support.

Singapore Hospice Council has published several resources to raise awareness about palliative care to the wider public as well as information on end-of-life matters such as grief, bereavement and caregivers’ experiences.

HCA Hospice (HCA) is Singapore’s largest home hospice care provider. They also operate two-day hospices with programmes for mobile patients and a paediatric palliative care (Star PALS) programme for children as part of their core services. HCA is also an NCSS Centre of Specialisation for palliative care, and they provide palliative care training for caregivers to equip them with the requisite skills.

Serenity Cancer Care, a programme by Ain Society aims to provide emotional, social and spiritual support to cancer patients and their family members.

SGICU is a non-profit web portal dedicated to helping patients admitted to ICU by providing useful information for them and their family members. The portal provides resources to help you and your loved ones navigate different medical processes and terminologies during the ICU stay.

You may also find a useful glossary of common terminologies used by the medical team about different ICU topics, such as life support goals, treatment, and airway-related matters.