Number of Persons with Disabilities in Institutional Care in Last 10 Years

Mr Chong Kee Hiong asked the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) in the last 10 years, what is the number of persons with disabilities in institutional care, broken down by 20-year age groups; and (b) whether there has been an increase in these numbers.

Mr Desmond Lee: Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) 1 who are receiving institutional care reside in the Children Disability Homes (CDH), Adult Disability Homes (ADH) and Welfare Homes (WH).

CDHs admits PwDs below the age of 16 years old. As at June 2019, there were 40 children residing in CDHs. This number has been relatively stable in the last 10 years.

The ADHs and WHs provide institutional care for PwDs aged 16 and above. As at June 2019, there were about 890 PwDs from age 16 to 64 2 residing in ADHs and WHs, compared to 780 PwDs in 2009. Another 110 PwDs aged 65 and above were residents in the ADHs and WHs. The age profile of these PwDs is as follows:

Seniors who require assistance in activities of daily living and/or daily nursing care needs, as well as have little or no family support may be cared for in nursing homes. As at end-2018, there were about 12,000 subsidised nursing home residents, compared to 8,000 in end-2014 3 .

Note(s) to Question No(s) 33:

1 Refers to persons with Hearing Impairment and Visual Impairment conditions, Physical Disabilities, Intellectual Disabilities and Autism Spectrum Disorder, below the age of 65.

2 We used this age range to compare with 2009 as the data in 2009 did not include PwDs age 65 and above.

3 The earliest comparable figure to end-2018 is as of end-2014, as there was a change in the data collection system in 2014.