People with disabilities (PWD) encompasses a sizable group within our senior population in Singapore – about 13.3% of those over the age of 50 years old. The challenges with living with disabilities arise in the form of financial and lifestyle constraints. For families living with PWDs, their homes will need to be refitted to keep the space danger-free; for individuals, a sudden or unforeseen disability can be debilitating and stressful.
If you are residing with your parents or grandparents who need mobility assistance, there’s help. In 2002, our government set up a care aide and financial scheme to help disadvantaged senior citizens in Singapore cope with their disability issues.
What is IDAPE?
IDAPE – or Interim Disability Assistance Programme for the Elderly – is a senior mobility and enabling fund which provides financial support for those who cannot be covered by ElderShield due to their age or pre-existing conditions. Through this programme, eligible elderly people can receive a monthly payout of $150 or $200 up to 72 months.
The payouts are made in cash, and can be used in a wide range of ways. For example, the money can be used to pay for home care by health professionals, medicine, medical bills and more.
Who is Eligible?
This programme is eligible for Singapore citizens residing within the country. Individuals must also be born on or before 30 September 1932, or between 1 October 1932 and 30 September 1962 (both dates inclusive), with pre-existing disabilities as of 30 September 2002. Eligible PWDs must also have trouble performing three or more of the six Activities of Daily Living (ADL), as certified by an MOH-accredited severe disability assessor. The activities are:
- Eating
- Bathing
- Dressing
- Transferring
- Toileting
- Walking or moving around
There are also household income caps to take note of. Households with monthly income per person of $2,000 and below will receive a monthly payout of $250 per month, while households with monthly income per person of $2,001 to $2,800 will receive $150. For households with zero income, the annual value (AV) of their property must be $13,000 and below.
How to Apply?
Eligible seniors can make the application themselves, or have someone apply for them. You can apply on behalf of an elderly person if you are a caregiver who is aged 21 years old or older, or a nurse at a nursing home where the senior is residing.
To start the application process, you will first need to undergo means testing and arrange for an assessor to conduct the disability assessment. An assessment fee of up to $250 will be collected, but this will be reimbursed to you if the care recipient is deemed to be severely disabled. If the care recipient is in a nursing home, a nursing aide can help submit a Resident’s Assessment Form (RAF) in place of the assessment.
Once you have undergone the assessment phase successfully, you will be able to make an online application using your Singpass, apply via email or walk in to any Agency for Integrated Care (AIC) Link Locations in Singapore to request for a hardcopy form. The waiting time for each application may take up to one month, and you will be notified of the outcome in writing.
Caring For the Disable Elderly at Home
We understand that it can be difficult for those providing home care to the elderly, especially if they are faced with challenging disabilities. However, there are resources in the form of government assistance and other healthcare programmes which are often overlooked.
At Jaga-Me, our comprehensive home services in Singapore allow caregivers to focus on spending quality time with their dependents. Through home nursing and professional respite care, we work hard to ensure that your loved one is safe and well taken care of. Our services also include non-medical care to help you with daily tasks such as bathing, feeding, toileting and transferring.
The best thing about this is that all these can also be covered under your IDAPE payouts. Contact us to find out more today.
