If you are suddenly a caregiver in Punggol, make one call first: the Agency for Integrated Care (AIC) Hotline on 1800-650-6060. AIC can walk you through care options, subsidies and applications. If your parent seems unwell and you are not sure how serious it is, call 995.

Nobody plans for the week everything changes. You do not need to have it all worked out today. You only need the next step.

This page is part of eduKate Punggol’s When You Need Help in Punggol, our practical guides for life’s occasions, big and small. It covers the first week after you become suddenly a caregiver: who to call, how to map the care options, how to plan a break from the start, and where to find help in Punggol.

Quick answer

• First call: the AIC Hotline, 1800-650-6060, Monday to Friday 8.30am–8.30pm and Saturday 8.30am–4pm. It is closed on Sundays and public holidays. Have your parent’s NRIC ready.
• First click: AIC’s online Care Services Recommender, a short self-assessment that suggests community care services and financial schemes.
• In Punggol: SingHealth Polyclinics – Punggol at Oasis Terraces (6643 6969) for GP-level care and referrals, and Allkin’s Active Ageing Centres at 206A Punggol Place and 677B Punggol Drive.
• Money: from April 2026, the Home Caregiving Grant pays up to $600 a month to eligible families. The Caregivers Training Grant gives $400 in the first year.
• A break: day care can be used for even a single day. Nursing-home respite needs a referral at least four weeks ahead.
• Emergencies: 995. AIC’s own advice is that if you are unsure, call 995 for an ambulance.

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Suddenly a Caregiver: What to Do First

You will not finish this list in a day. Work down it in order, and tick things off as you go.

1. Make sure your parent is safe today. If they are newly unwell, confused or in pain and you cannot judge how serious it is, call 995. Everything else can wait an hour.
2. Call the AIC Hotline. It runs in English, Chinese, Malay and Tamil. You will be asked to key in the seven digits of your NRIC. You can also email enquiries@aic.sg.
3. Run the Care Services Recommender. It gives you a list of services and schemes to ask about, so your call with AIC is more focused.
4. If this follows a hospital stay, use the discharge checklist. AIC suggests checking whether you can manage showering, eating and moving at home, and telling the healthcare team if home care will be hard. Our guide to bringing a parent home from hospital covers this in detail.
5. Start a care folder. Keep the discharge summary, referral forms and appointment slips together, as AIC advises. A plastic folder by the door works well.
6. Name one person for the money. AIC suggests planning for costs that MediSave and insurance will not cover, and giving one family member the job of handling the bills.
7. Check the grants. Our caregiver grants and training guide explains the Home Caregiving Grant and the Caregivers Training Grant.
8. Plan a break now, not later. AIC’s “Take a Break” page lists four respite options. Choosing one this week means you will not be scrambling when you are exhausted.

Who to Call and Where to Go in Punggol

AIC is the hub for eldercare in Singapore, so most roads start there. Locally, the polyclinic and the Active Ageing Centres are the places your parent is most likely to visit.

Who	Contact and address	Hours	Good for
AIC Hotline	1800-650-6060; enquiries@aic.sg. Calls from AIC may show as 6650 6060.	Mon–Fri 8.30am–8.30pm; Sat 8.30am–4pm. Closed Sun and public holidays.	Care options, applications, subsidies, respite, and finding an AIC Link for walk-in help.
AIC Care Services Recommender	Online, on AIC’s website	Online	A first map of the services and schemes that may fit.
SingHealth Polyclinics – Punggol	681 Punggol Drive, Oasis Terraces #02-01, Singapore 820681. Tel 6643 6969. Near Oasis LRT.	SingHealth Polyclinics list weekday hours of 8am–1pm and 2pm–4.30pm. Check SHP-Punggol’s page for Saturdays. Closed Sun and public holidays.	GP-level care, chronic conditions and referrals.
Allkin Active Ageing Centre @ Punggol 206A	206A Punggol Place, #01-2030, Singapore 821206. Tel 6038 4350.	Call to ask	Activities, befriending and referrals for seniors aged 60 and over.
Allkin Active Ageing Centre @ Punggol 677B	677B Punggol Drive, #01-774, Singapore 822677. Tel 6038 4370.	Call to ask	As above.
ServiceSG Centre One Punggol	1 Punggol Drive, #01-01, Singapore 828629	Mon–Sat 9am–6pm. Closed Sun and public holidays.	Help with government e-services and Singpass.

Checked October 2026 — confirm on the official page before you go: AIC’s contact page, SHP-Punggol and Allkin’s Active Ageing Centres.

AIC Links are AIC’s walk-in centres for help with applications. We could not confirm their addresses in October 2026, so ask the AIC Hotline where the nearest one is. The same goes for AIC’s Silver Generation Office, which reaches seniors through home visits, calls and community programmes.

Which Situation Fits You

Your parent has just come out of hospital

The days before discharge are the best time to ask for help, because the ward team can make referrals for you. Ask about medicines, follow-up appointments and equipment, and ask for the medical social worker if money is a worry.

Your parent needs help with daily tasks

AIC groups care into three settings. Care at Home brings help to the flat. Care Centres are day programmes where your parent spends time with peers. Nursing Homes and Hospices give round-the-clock care when home care is no longer possible.

You work full time

A day care centre gives your parent company and care while you are at work. AIC also lists centre-based care on weekends for families whose domestic helper has a day off. Days and hours vary by provider, so apply through AIC’s Contact Us page.

You are thinking about a domestic helper

AIC says the levy concession cuts the monthly levy from $300 to $60 when the senior permanently needs some help with at least one of six daily activities. Its Eldercarer MDW Scheme includes two days of classroom training before the helper arrives and three hours of on-the-job training after. Our domestic helper explainer covers permits and rest days.

You are also raising children

Caring in both directions is its own kind of tiring. Our guide to the sandwich generation covers leave, flexible work and tax reliefs.

Costs, Grants and Respite Rules

Here are the figures AIC publishes. Subsidies for citizens and PRs are means-tested, and AIC says 2026 subsidy levels use 2025 Annual Values.

• Home Caregiving Grant: from April 2026, up to $600 a month, for a parent who permanently needs help with at least three of six activities of daily living.
• Caregivers Training Grant: $400 in the first year. AIC says helper caregiver courses cost between $200 and $500, and the grant can subsidise approved ones.
• Helper levy concession: $60 a month instead of $300, if the conditions above are met.
• Nursing-home respite: daily room and board from $131 in an open ward before subsidies, excluding admin fees, consumables and a refundable deposit.
• Respite stays: AIC’s “Take a Break” page says a minimum of seven days per stay, and up to 30 days a year.

For nursing-home respite, AIC says your parent must need help with most daily activities or have daily nursing needs. They must be medically stable, with a long-term care plan and a plan to return home. You need a referral from a hospital, polyclinic or GP, or you can contact the provider directly, with a medical report dated within six months. Spaces are limited.

The other three respite routes on AIC’s list are MOM’s Household Services Scheme, for a few hours of domestic help and basic elder-minding; Enhanced Home Personal Care, where trained staff help with baths, medication and activities at home; and day care. AIC notes the Household Services Scheme is not suitable for households that need dedicated eldercare.

Neighbour’s Tips

• Save 6650 6060 as “AIC”. That is how AIC’s call-backs may show on your phone, and it is easy to ignore an unknown number on a busy day.
• Keep the NRIC handy. The hotline asks for seven digits, so have your parent’s card or a photo of it ready before you dial.
• Book respite a month ahead. Nursing-home respite referrals must go in at least four weeks before the start date, with a medical report under six months old.
• Try day care for one day. AIC says seniors can use day care on an ad hoc basis. A trial day before you really need it makes the first real day much easier.
• Book polyclinic visits rather than walking in. Weekday walk-in registration closes at 11.30am for the morning and 4pm for the afternoon.
• Ignore money requests on the phone. AIC says its staff will never ask you to transfer money or share bank log-in details over a call. If in doubt, call ScamShield on 1799.
• Split the jobs. One sibling for appointments, one for bills, one for weekend visits. A shared family chat keeps everyone in the loop.

If It’s Urgent or Gets Worse

Call 995 for an ambulance in an emergency. AIC’s advice for caregivers is simple: if you are unsure, call 995. For questions that are not emergencies, NurseFirst on 6262 6262 gives advice from trained nurses.

Caring can wear you down quietly. If you feel you cannot cope, call Samaritans of Singapore on 1767 (24 hours) or message CareText on WhatsApp at 9151 1767. The National Mindline, 1771, also runs 24 hours.

If you are worried that an older person is being harmed or neglected, call the National Anti-Violence and Sexual Harassment Helpline on 1800-777-0000, 24 hours, or 999 if they are in immediate danger. Our guide to elder abuse and vulnerable adults explains more.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who should I call first when I suddenly become a caregiver?

Call the AIC Hotline on 1800-650-6060. AIC can explain care options and subsidies, help with applications and point you to an AIC Link for walk-in help.

Is there an AIC office in Punggol?

We could not confirm an AIC Link address in or near Punggol in October 2026. Call the hotline to find the nearest one. AIC’s office at Maxwell Road is an office, not a walk-in AIC Link.

Can I get money to help with caregiving?

Possibly. From April 2026, the Home Caregiving Grant pays up to $600 a month for eligible families, and the Caregivers Training Grant gives $400 in the first year for approved courses. Our caregiver grants guide has the details.

How do I get a break from caring?

AIC lists four routes: the Household Services Scheme, Enhanced Home Personal Care, day care and nursing-home respite. Day care can be used for even one day, while nursing-home respite needs at least four weeks’ notice.

Where can my parent see a doctor in Punggol?

SingHealth Polyclinics – Punggol is at 681 Punggol Drive, Oasis Terraces #02-01. Call 6643 6969 to book. It offers GP-level care, help with chronic conditions and referrals.

More Help on eduKate Punggol

• Caregiver grants and training in Punggol: the Home Caregiving Grant and the Caregivers Training Grant explained.
• Caregiver wellbeing and respite routines: looking after yourself while you look after them.
• Seniors, ageing and caregiving in Punggol: the bigger picture.
• HealthHub caregiver access: managing an adult family member’s appointments and records.
• Older adults living alone in Punggol: befriending, alert alarms and check-ins.
• Official: AIC care options · AIC Take a Break · AIC on preparing to become a caregiver

The First Week Is the Hardest

The first week of caring is mostly phone calls, forms and worry. It does settle. Once the right services are in place and the family knows who is doing what, there is room again for the ordinary parts of being a son or daughter: a meal together, a walk by the Waterway, a chat about nothing much.

And if your family is also looking for calm, small-group English, Mathematics or Science, eduKate Punggol teaches classes of three in Punggol. Come find out more: Book a consultation · Chat on WhatsApp

eduKate Punggol
Small-group English, Mathematics and Science
Primary and Secondary
By appointment · +65 8823 1234

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Checked October 2026. Addresses, opening hours, fees and rules change, so please confirm with the official source before you go.