If you have been hearing the term HPC+ recently and are not quite sure what it means, you are not alone. Enhanced Home Personal Care, or HPC+, is a new government programme tailored to support our country’s ageing population.
This article breaks down exactly what HPC+ is, why the government introduced it, what it covers, and how families like yours can access it.
TL;DR: Key Takeaways
- HPC+ (Enhanced Home Personal Care) is a new MOH programme replacing the older HPC scheme, administered by AIC.
- It is structured around four care modules: Housekeeping, Personal Care, Custodial Support, and Fall and Movement Monitoring.
- One provider is appointed per sub-region, replacing the fragmented islandwide model.
- Assessments use a standardised InterRAI tool, and modules can be added or removed as needs change.
- All existing HPC clients will be transitioned to HPC+ by end 2026.
- Homage is an approved HPC+ provider in Singapore, delivering all four modules under one care team.
What Is HPC+?
HPC+ stands for Enhanced Home Personal Care. It is a government-funded home care programme introduced by the Ministry of Health (MOH) and administered by the Agency for Integrated Care (AIC).
It is designed to help seniors in Singapore age well at home, with more personalised, more intensive, and better-coordinated support than what was previously available.
HPC+ replaces the older Home Personal Care (HPC) programme, which had been running for years but had significant gaps that the new model is designed to fix.
If your loved one is already receiving HPC services, they will be transitioned to HPC+ by end 2026. If your loved one has not previously accessed home care services, HPC+ is now the entry point for government-subsidised home personal care in Singapore.
Why Did the Government Replace HPC with HPC+?
To understand why HPC+ was created, it helps to understand what was not working with the old model.
By December 2023, there were 26 HPC providers islandwide serving approximately 4,500 clients. On the surface, that sounds like reasonable coverage. But the reality on the ground was more complicated.
The system was fragmented
Within the existing landscape, HPC, Interim Caregiving Service (ICS), and Home Based Respite Care (HBRC) all provided personal care services but targeted different client profiles.
For families trying to navigate care options for an elderly loved one, this was genuinely confusing. Multiple overlapping services with different eligibility criteria and different providers.
Economies of scale were low
Because providers received referrals islandwide, in some sub-regions, there were up to 11 different providers serving just 72 clients.
That level of fragmentation meant providers were spending significant time and resources on travelling rather than on actual care delivery.
Care was delivered in silos
Frail seniors were often receiving multiple care plans across different services that were not coordinated with each other.
Different providers might use different assessment tools, have different handover processes, and have no visibility into what the other was doing.
The model could not efficiently cater to higher-needs clients
Because providers were covering large geographic areas, it was difficult to offer the frequency of visits that frailer seniors genuinely needed.
Providers could not feasibly offer multiple visits per day to the same client if that client lived far from their next appointment.
HPC+ was built to solve all of these problems at once, through a localised, modular, and better-coordinated approach to home-based care.
What Changed: HPC vs HPC+
Here is a comparison of what changed between the old and new programmes.
| HPC (old) | HPC+ (new) | |
|---|---|---|
| Service model | Islandwide. Any provider could receive referrals from anywhere | Localised. One provider per sub-region |
| Care scope | Housekeeping and personal care only | Four modules, including custodial support and fall monitoring |
| Higher care tasks | Not included | Included, supervised by a Registered Nurse |
| Coordination | Multiple providers, often siloed | Single provider per sub-region, single point of contact |
| Assessment tool | Varied | Standardised InterRAI assessment |
| Flexibility | Limited ability to adjust scope | Modular: add or remove services as needs change |
| Extended hours | Available through a separate HBRC service | Included within Module B Personal Care |
The Four HPC+ Modules Explained
HPC+ is structured around four care modules. The key innovation here is the modular approach: your loved one does not have to access all four.
They receive whichever modules match their assessed needs, and those modules can be added or removed over time as their situation changes.
Module A: Housekeeping
Light and heavy housekeeping, including sweeping, laundry, and cleaning of fans, windows, and toilets. Available when the senior or their caregiver is unable to manage these tasks independently.
One important design choice: housekeeping was deliberately separated into its own standalone module so that trained care staff can focus their time on higher-priority care tasks like personal care and clinical support, rather than spending clinical hours on cleaning.
Module B: Personal Care
This is the core of HPC+ for most families. It covers assistance with bathing and personal hygiene, feeding, vital signs monitoring, medication assistance, cognitive stimulation activities, and simple exercises.
HPC+ expands this to include higher care tasks not previously available under HPC, including care of PEG tubes, simple wound dressing, and care of urinary catheters.
These tasks are supervised by a Registered Nurse, allowing providers to support seniors with more complex clinical needs who previously may have had no option other than institutional care.
Extended hours support is also included in Module B, available in 4, 8, and 12-hour shifts, up to 360 hours per year. This is particularly valuable for families managing hospital-to-home transitions or for caregivers who need respite.
Module C: Custodial Support
A new module introduced under HPC+, custodial support functions as a substitute caregiver, providing daily check-ins, medication reminders, help managing bills and household errands, transportation escort to nearby areas, and assistance buying daily necessities.
There is also an active hotline during office hours so clients can call for assistance directly. This module is specifically designed for seniors with complex needs and little or no caregiver support at home.
Module D: Fall and Movement Monitoring
The second new module introduced under HPC+, this uses technology to monitor seniors for extended periods of inactivity or fall incidents, particularly valuable for seniors who live alone.
When an alert is triggered, a 24/7 monitoring centre conducts triaging and verification, and activates emergency medical response (SCDF) if required.
What Does HPC+ Look Like in Practice?
To make this concrete, consider a fictional but realistic scenario.
Meet Mdm Lim, 78, living in a three-room HDB flat in Toa Payoh. Mdm Lim lives alone. Her daughter, Siti, works full-time and visits on weekends.
Mdm Lim has moderate frailty, takes five medications daily, and had a fall in her bathroom six months ago that resulted in a brief hospitalisation. She manages most daily activities independently but struggles with bathing safely, remembering her medication schedule, and keeping her home clean.
Under the old HPC model, Siti might have had to engage separate providers for different services, with little coordination between them.
Under HPC+, a single approved provider serves Mdm Lim’s sub-region and can deliver her entire care plan.
Based on an InterRAI assessment, Mdm Lim is assigned three modules:
- Module A (Housekeeping): A care worker visits weekly to help with heavier cleaning tasks Mdm Lim can no longer safely manage.
- Module C (Custodial Support): Daily check-ins ensure Mdm Lim takes her medications correctly. The care team also helps manage utility bill payments and accompanies her to polyclinic appointments.
- Module D (Fall Monitoring): A monitoring device is installed in Mdm Lim’s flat. If she falls or remains inactive for an extended period, the 24/7 monitoring centre is alerted immediately, giving Siti peace of mind while she is at work.
Six months later, Mdm Lim has a minor stroke and is hospitalised for two weeks. On discharge, her care needs have increased significantly.
Her HPC+ provider immediately activates Module B: daily personal care visits for bathing and hygiene assistance, plus extended-hours support for the first weeks of recovery, while keeping Modules C and D running.
As Mdm Lim stabilises, her personal care visits are stepped down in frequency. The same provider, the same care team, the same care coordinator. No disruption, no starting over.
This is the care continuity HPC+ is specifically designed to enable.
How Does HPC+ Compare to Nursing Home Care?
This is one of the most common questions families ask, and the answer is more nuanced than most people expect.
Out-of-pocket costs for HPC+ are generally comparable to or lower than nursing home fees for many income bands, particularly when government subsidies are factored in.
The subsidy framework is based on Monthly Per Capita Household Income (PCHI), with Singapore Citizens on lower incomes receiving up to 80% subsidy.
But cost is only part of the picture. The real question for most families is not just financial: it is about quality of life, autonomy, and what their loved one actually wants.
Singapore’s own HDB survey data shows a growing preference among elderly residents to age in place.
HPC+ is the government’s direct response to that preference: an attempt to build a home care infrastructure robust enough that staying home is a genuinely viable option for seniors with moderate to high care needs, not just those with mild support requirements.
Who Is Eligible for HPC+?
HPC+ is designed for seniors who need moderate to higher levels of home-based care. Eligibility is determined through a standardised assessment tool called the InterRAI, administered by AIC.
To be eligible, your loved one generally needs to:
- Be a Singapore Citizen or Permanent Resident
- Have care needs that can be appropriately supported at home
- Be referred by a doctor, hospital discharge team, or medical social worker
If your loved one is currently receiving HPC services, they will be transitioned to HPC+ by end 2026. All clients currently using Modules A and B under HPC can convert to HPC+ regardless of eligibility criteria.
How Does the Referral Process Work?
The referral and admission process for HPC+ works as follows:
| Step | Action | Details |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Referral raised | A referral is raised through the Integrated Referral Management System by a doctor, hospital discharge team, or medical social worker. |
| 2 | InterRAI Check Up assessment | AIC conducts an InterRAI Check Up assessment, assesses needs and eligibility, and assigns the referral to an HPC+ provider based on the client’s postal code. |
| 3 | Provider admission | The provider receives the referral and InterRAI outcomes, and admits or declines the client based on the assessment. |
| 4 | Module determination (higher needs) | For clients with higher care needs, the provider conducts an additional InterRAI Home Care Suite assessment to determine which modules are needed. |
| 5 | Ongoing review | Once onboarded, the provider reviews the client’s needs every six months using InterRAI, or sooner when there is a change in condition. |
If you are not sure where to start, you can reach out directly to an approved HPC+ provider like Homage, and our care advisors will guide you through the referral process.
How Is HPC+ Delivered Across Singapore?
Under HPC+, Singapore is divided into 80 sub-regions across 24 regions. One provider is appointed per sub-region, ensuring localised, responsive care delivery within a defined geographic boundary.
This is a fundamental shift from the old model, where providers could receive referrals from anywhere, islandwide.
Under HPC+, your loved one’s provider is always nearby, which means faster response times, more frequent visits where needed, and a care team that genuinely knows the local community.
Providers were appointed through a formal government RFP process, and HPC+ services began rolling out from Q4 2025. All existing HPC clients will be fully transitioned to HPC+ by Q4 2026.
Is HPC+ Right for Your Loved One?
HPC+ is worth exploring if your loved one is an elderly Singapore Citizen or Permanent Resident who:
- Needs regular help with personal care tasks like bathing
- Lives alone or has limited caregiver support
- Is at risk of falls
- Has been recently hospitalised and is transitioning home
- Has complex daily needs that a part-time caregiver cannot fully address
Getting Started with HPC+ Through Homage
Homage is an approved HPC+ provider in Singapore, appointed through MOH’s formal RFP process. We deliver all four HPC+ modules: housekeeping, personal care, custodial support, and fall monitoring, under one coordinated care team.
If your loved one needs home care support, we are here to help you navigate the process from referral through to care delivery. Get in touch with our care advisors today.
