Hospice care is compassionate care focused on comfort, dignity and quality of life for people living with a serious, advanced or life-limiting illness — and for the people who love them. It is often, but not only, care in the last months of life, and it is best understood as one part of palliative care, the broader umbrella of supportive care. A key point to set right from the start: hospice care is not “giving up” — it is active care aimed at helping someone live as well as possible.
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In a medical emergency, or for severe or sudden symptoms such as breathing difficulty, chest pain, fainting or stroke signs, call 995 immediately.
For a sudden severe change — uncontrolled pain or breathlessness, a fall with injury — call the hospice or home-care team’s advice line first, as they can often respond quickly. For a life-threatening emergency, call 995. For emotional distress, SOS is on 1767 and mindline.sg offers support.
What it is
Hospice care centres on comfort and quality of life rather than cure. It sits within palliative care: palliative care can begin early, even at diagnosis and alongside treatments aimed at cure or control, while hospice care usually applies when an illness is advanced and the focus has shifted toward comfort. It is best understood not as a building you go to, but as a philosophy and a set of services that can come to you — helping people, in the words of hospice organisations, live the best life possible at whatever stage of the journey.
Who it is for
Hospice care supports people of any age with advanced cancer, organ failure of the heart, lungs, kidneys or liver, advanced neurological conditions such as dementia, motor neurone disease or Parkinson’s, and other progressive life-limiting illnesses — along with their families and caregivers. Referral does not require someone to be in their final days; many people benefit from support well before then.
The settings
In Singapore there are three main settings. Home hospice or palliative home care brings a team to the person’s own home, a vital option for those who wish to be cared for in familiar surroundings, covered in our home palliative care guide. Day hospice or palliative day care offers a supportive environment during the day for symptom review, therapy, activities and social contact, and gives caregivers respite. Inpatient hospice provides round-the-clock specialist care for those whose needs cannot be met at home, such as difficult symptoms.
The team and what it provides
Hospice care is delivered by a multidisciplinary team — doctors, nurses, medical social workers, counsellors, chaplains and spiritual-care providers, therapists and trained volunteers — working together across physical, emotional, social, spiritual and practical needs. It provides symptom and pain control, emotional and psychological support, help with equipment and navigating services, spiritual and cultural or religious support, family and caregiver support including respite, and bereavement support for the family after a death.
Common myths to set aside
Several beliefs put families off hospice care unnecessarily. It does not mean “giving up” or that nothing more can be done — it is active care aimed at comfort and living well. It is not only for the last few days; it can begin months earlier, and some people stabilise and are even discharged from an inpatient setting. It is not only a place you go to die — most hospice care in Singapore is provided at home. And choosing it does not mean stopping all treatment, as comfort-focused treatments continue and palliative care can run alongside disease-directed care.
Realistic expectations
Hospice care does not hasten or postpone death; it aims to make each day as comfortable and meaningful as possible. It cannot cure the underlying illness, but good symptom control often improves how a person feels and what they are able to do. Plans are reviewed and adjusted as needs change, and the balance between comfort and alertness is always guided by what the person themselves wants.
How to access it in Singapore
Hospice services are coordinated under the Singapore Hospice Council, which represents many member providers across home, day-care and inpatient settings, usually through a common referral form. Referral is generally made by a healthcare provider — a GP, hospital specialist or palliative team — and the Agency for Integrated Care (AIC, 1800-650-6060) helps families find, arrange and apply for subsidised community care. Public and community hospitals, inpatient hospices and nursing homes all provide elements of this care.
Support and next steps
Practical help includes home equipment and mobility aids, caregiver training and respite, financial guidance and subsidy applications through AIC and medical social workers, counselling for the whole family, and spiritual support respecting the family’s faith and culture, followed by bereavement support. To begin, ask your GP or hospital doctor for a referral, or call AIC on 1800-650-6060 for guidance on services near you. Fees vary by service and means-testing, so a medical social worker can help you understand costs and apply for any subsidies you are eligible for. It is worth reaching out sooner rather than later, because starting hospice or palliative support early gives the team time to get to know the person, ease symptoms before they become distressing, and support the whole family through what lies ahead.
Related palliative & supportive-care topics
- Advance Medical Directive (AMD)
- End-of-life care
- Palliative care at home
- Managing pain in palliative care
- Breathlessness in palliative care
- Appetite & eating near the end of life
- Caring for a dying loved one
- Talking about death & dying
- Palliative care for cancer
- Advance care planning
- Geriatricians in Singapore
Sources
- Singapore Hospice Council — Services: singaporehospice.org.sg
- Marie Curie — Hospice care: mariecurie.org.uk
- NHS — End of life care: nhs.uk
- Agency for Integrated Care (AIC): aic.sg