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Homes for the Aged Bill

Bill No. 11/1988

Read the first time on 28th June 1988.

An Act to provide for the control, licensing and inspection of homes for the aged and for purposes connected therewith.

Be it enacted by the President with the advice and consent of the Parliament of Singapore, as follows:

Short title and commencement

1. This Act may be cited as the Homes for the Aged Act 1988 and shall come into operation on such date as the Minister may, by notification in the Gazette, appoint.

Interpretation

2. In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires —

“Director” means the Director of Social Welfare and includes any officer authorised by him to act on his behalf;

“home for the aged” means any establishment the object of which is, or is held out to be, the provision of residential accommodation with board and personal care for 5 or more old persons, whether able-bodied or disabled, but does not include —

(a)	premises which form part of any premises, including maternity homes, used or intended to be used solely for the reception, lodging and treatment and care of persons who require medical treatment or suffer from any disease;
(b)	premises used or intended to be used solely for the reception of, and the provision of nursing for, persons suffering or convalescing from any sickness, injury or infirmity;
(c)	premises used solely for the reception and care of dying or terminally ill persons; and
(d)	such other premises as may be prescribed;

“licence” means a licence issued under section 4 in respect of a home, and “licensed” and “licensee” shall have corresponding meanings;

“old person” means any person of the age of 60 years and above;

“resident”, in relation to a home, means any old person, except a member of the staff, residing in the home.

Homes to which this Act applies

3.—(1) The homes to which this Act applies are homes for the aged.

(2) Notwithstanding anything contained in this Act, the Director may, upon the application of a person carrying on a home for the aged, approve for admission into the home any person whose age is between 50 and 60 years.

Licensing of homes

4.—(1) Any person who carries on a home for the aged without being licensed under this Act shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $5,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 2 years or to both.

(2) An application for the issue of a licence shall be in such form as may be approved by the Director.

(3) Subject to the provisions of this section and section 5, the Director shall, on receipt of an application under subsection (2), issue a licence in respect of the home named in the application subject to such conditions as he may think fit to impose.

(4) If any condition imposed by or under subsection (3) is not complied with, the person carrying on the home shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $5,000.

Refusal to issue a licence

5. The Director may refuse to issue a licence if he is satisfied —

(a)	that the applicant or any person employed or proposed to be employed by him in the management of the home or part thereof is not a fit person, whether by reason of age or otherwise, to carry on or to be so employed at the home named in the application;
(b)	that for reasons connected with the situation, construction, state of repair, accommodation, staffing or equipment, the home or any premises used in connection with the home are not fit to be used as a home for the aged; or
(c)	that the way in which it is proposed to conduct the home is such as not to provide services or facilities reasonably required by old persons.

Revocation and suspension of licence

6.—(1) The Director may revoke or suspend a licence to use any premises as a home —

(a)

on any of the grounds specified in section 5;

(b)

if the licensee fails to comply with any direction given by the Director under section 15(1) or (2);

(c)

if the premises are no longer being used as a home;

(d)

if a home does not conform in all respects with minimum standards of accommodation that may be prescribed;

(e)

if in the opinion of the Director the construction of the home constitutes a fire risk, or the fire-fighting equipment available, or the means of escape provided, or the other precautions taken for avoiding danger from fire, extinguishing fire or otherwise protecting residents from fire, do not conform with the minimum standard required for homes;

(f)

if in the opinion of the Director —

(i)	the standard of care available to residents in a home is unsatisfactory;
(ii)	any resident has been ill-treated or neglected in a manner likely to cause unnecessary suffering or has been kept in an environment that is injurious to his mental or physical health;
(iii)	the premises of a home are unsafe for residents or are insanitary; or
(iv)	the premises of a home are in such a condition, or a home is managed or conducted in such a manner, that the revocation of the licence is required in the interests of the residents or in the public interest;

(g)

if a home does not comply with any requirement under this Act or any regulations made thereunder relating to staff;

(h)

if the premises of a home are not repaired or altered as required by the Director;

(i)

if a licensee is convicted for contravening any of the provisions of this Act or any regulations made thereunder or if he fails to comply with any direction given by the Director under this Act; or

(j)

if a licensee has contravened or if he fails to comply with any of the conditions specified in the licence.

(2) Before revoking or suspending a licence, the Director shall give notice to the licensee of the ground or grounds on which it is proposed to revoke or suspend the licence and shall afford the licensee an opportunity of showing cause why the licence should not be revoked or suspended.

Appeal

7. Any person aggrieved by any decision of the Director under section 5 or 6 may, within 21 days after notice of the decision is given to him, appeal to the Minister whose decision shall be final.

Duration of licence

8.—(1) On the issue of a licence, the licensee shall pay to the Director a fee of such amount as may be prescribed.

(2) A licence shall continue in force for a period of two years from the date of its issue, unless it has been previously revoked but may be renewed by the grant of a new licence.

Display of licence

9.—(1) Every licensee shall cause his current licence to be permanently exhibited in some conspicuous place where it can readily be seen by all persons having access to the premises to which the licence relates.

(2) Every licensee who contravenes or fails to comply with subsection (1) shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $1,000 and, in the case of a continuing offence, to a further fine not exceeding $100 for every day during which the offence continues after conviction.

Transfer of licence

10. On an application in writing signed by the licensee of any home, and by the person to whom the licensee desires to transfer the licence, the Director may, if he thinks fit, either by way of endorsement on the licence or otherwise in writing, transfer the licence to that person, and thereupon that person shall become the licensee of the home.

Transfer or revocation of licence upon death of licensee

11.—(1) If the licensee, or the sole surviving licensee, of a home dies, his surviving spouse or any member of his family or any relative shall within 21 days of his death notify the Director of his death, and the Director may, if he thinks fit, either by way of endorsement on the licence or otherwise in writing, transfer the licence to a person nominated for the purpose by the executors or administrators of the deceased licensee, and thereupon that person shall become the licensee of the home.

(2) Subject to subsection (4), until the licence is transferred in accordance with subsection (1) or unless the licence is revoked under this section or section 6, the home shall continue to be a licensed home under this Act.

(3) If the licence is not transferred in accordance with subsection (1) within 3 months after the death of the licensee or of the sole surviving licensee, the Director may, by notice under his hand published in the Gazette, revoke the licence and thereupon the home shall cease to be a licensed home.

(4) If the Director is not notified of the death of the licensee or of the sole surviving licensee by the end of the period of 21 days after his death under subsection (1), the home shall thereupon cease to be a licensed home.

Termination of licence where licensee disposes of home

12. Subject to sections 10 and 11, every licence shall cease to have effect when the licensee ceases to be the owner or lessee of the home to which the licence relates.

Registers

13.—(1) The Director shall cause to be kept and maintained a register of all licensed homes.

(2) Every licensee may be required to keep and maintain such register of residents and staff as the Director considers necessary for carrying out the purposes of this Act.

Inspection

14.—(1) The Director may at any time visit and inspect any home and any premises which the Director suspects or has reason to believe to be used as a home, and may inspect any apparatus, appliance, equipment or instrument or any book, document or record relating to the home, and question any person found in the home or premises in respect of matters relevant to this Act.

(2) Any person who prevents or obstructs or attempts to prevent or obstruct the Director in the execution of his powers under subsection (1) shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $2,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding one year or to both.

Directions as to apparatus and equipment

15.—(1) Where in the opinion of the Director the use of any apparatus, appliance, equipment or instrument in a home is dangerous or detrimental to any person therein or is otherwise unsuitable for the purpose for which it is used, the Director may by notice direct the licensee to stop using it.

(2) The Director may by notice direct the licensee of a home to install or replace such apparatus, appliance, equipment or instrument therein, as may be specified in the notice.

Duty to furnish information

16.—(1) The Director may from time to time require the licensee of a home to furnish such information as he may require relating to —

(a)	the staff and residents;
(b)	any apparatus, appliance, equipment or instrument used therein;
(c)	the condition or treatment of any resident;
(d)	the premises of the home, the accommodation and the environment; and
(e)	any matter relevant to this Act.

(2) A licensee who on receipt of any requisition under this section —

(a)	refuses or fails to furnish any information required by the Director; or
(b)	gives any false or misleading information,

shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $2,000.

Offences by bodies corporate

17. Where a body corporate is guilty of an offence under this Act and that offence is proved to have been committed with the consent or connivance of, or to be attributable to any neglect on the part of, any director, manager, secretary or other similar officer of the body corporate, or any person who was purporting to act in any such capacity, he as well as the body corporate shall be guilty of that offence and shall be liable to be proceeded against and punished accordingly.

Restriction on disclosure of information

18. If any person discloses to any other person any information obtained by or given to him in pursuance of this Act, he shall, unless the disclosure was made in the performance of his duty, be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $2,000.

Exemption

19.—(1) The Minister may, subject to such terms or conditions as he may impose, exempt any premises from all or any of the provisions of this Act.

(2) An exemption granted under subsection (1) may be withdrawn at any time.

Regulations

20.—(1) The Minister may make regulations for any purpose for which regulations are required to be made under this Act and generally for carrying out the purposes and provisions of this Act.

(2) Without prejudice to the generality of subsection (1), the Minister may make regulations for or with respect to all or any of the following matters:

(a)	the forms, fees and registers for the purposes of this Act;
(b)	the records of residents in, and the staff of, a home;
(c)	the obligations and duties of a licensee;
(d)	the requirements as to the number and qualifications of nursing and other staff in a home;
(e)	the apparatus, appliances, equipment and instruments to be provided and maintained in a home;
(f)	the facilities and services to be provided in a home;
(g)	empowering the Director to limit the number of persons of any description who may be received into any home for the aged and for enabling licensing of any such home to be made subject to the condition that persons shall not be received in the home in excess of the number fixed for the home in accordance with the regulations;
(h)	the minimum standards of accommodation, sanitation and other amenities in a home;
(i)	the cleanliness and hygiene in a home;
(j)	the safety and welfare of residents in a home;
(k)	the management, control, superintendence and care of a home;
(l)	the notification of events occurring in a home; and
(m)	the general conduct of a home.

(3) Any regulation made under this section may —

(a)	prohibit the performance of specified acts without the consent of the Director;
(b)	authorise the Director to require or prohibit the performance of specified acts; and
(c)	require specified acts to be performed to the satisfaction of the Director.

(4) The Director may, by notice in writing to the licensee of a home, waive wholly, partly or conditionally the requirements of any regulation in respect of that home and may amend or withdraw such notice.