When a parent or grandparent needs daily help, the agency you work with matters almost as much as the helper you choose. There is no single "best" maid agency for elderly care. The right one is the agency that understands your family member's needs, checks its helpers' experience honestly, and stays involved after placement. This guide sets out seven practical checks, and shows how to compare maids for elderly care published by maid agencies in Singapore on SmartMaid before you commit.
What "best" should mean for elderly care
Rankings and star ratings rarely tell you whether an agency can match a helper to a parent with dementia, a stroke survivor who needs help with transfers, or an active senior who mainly needs company and cooking. A better definition of "best" is fit: an agency that asks detailed questions about the person being cared for, shows you candidates whose experience matches those needs, and explains its process in writing.
Start by writing a short care profile. Note which daily activities your family member needs help with (bathing, dressing, eating, toileting, moving around, transferring from bed to chair), any medical conditions and medications, the times of day care is needed most, and the languages spoken at home. Share this profile with every agency you speak to. How each agency responds is the first check.
Check 1: The licence and record on MOM's EA Directory
MOM advises employers to work only with licensed employment agencies and registered EA personnel. Its EA Directory lists licensed agencies with the names and photos of registered personnel, and lets you compare agencies' service quality and performance. MOM's hiring guide suggests paying attention to indicators such as the retention rate. The directory also has a tab listing agencies under revocation, suspension or surveillance, which MOM says to avoid.
Registered personnel carry a registration card with their name, registration number and agency. It takes a minute to check the card against the directory. Our guide to using the MOM EA Directory explains the figures in more detail.
Check 2: How the agency verifies elderly-care experience
"Elderly care" on a biodata can mean anything from helping a grandmother at home to years of work with a bedbound patient. Ask the agency:
- Who did she care for, for how long, and in which country?
- What exactly did she do: lifting and transfers, feeding, medication reminders, wound care, night care?
- How was the experience confirmed: a reference from the previous employer, a certificate, or her own account?
- Did the agency interview her in person, by video or by phone? Many biodata on SmartMaid record the interview method.
Good agencies answer specifically and tell you what they could not verify. Our guide to interview questions for elderly-care helpers helps you test the answers in person.
Check 3: Caregiving training
MOM's guide to hiring a helper suggests considering proper training when she will care for seniors. Under the Eldercarer Migrant Domestic Worker Scheme, a pilot by the Ministry of Health that works through participating agencies, helpers receive training in essential caregiving skills. The Agency for Integrated Care (AIC) describes it as two days of classroom training before arrival and three hours of on-the-job training after arrival, covering topics such as monitoring vital signs, helping with toileting, bathing, eating, dressing and mobility, fall prevention, medication and minor wounds, and communication.
AIC also runs the Caregivers Training Grant, which can subsidise approved courses, including further training after your helper has started work. Ask each agency whether it takes part in the scheme and which courses its helpers have completed. Check the current details on AIC's website.
Check 4: Match helpers to real care needs
On SmartMaid, the elderly-care listing currently shows about 2,140 biodata from 11 licensed agencies (snapshot: 29 September 2026). About 420 of those helpers also record previous work in Singapore, which can help with local routines, food and clinic visits. Use the filters for language, experience and nationality to narrow the list, then compare which agencies publish profiles that match your care profile.
Look beyond the headline skill. A helper who has cared for an active senior may not be ready for heavy transfers, and a helper with hospital or nursing-home experience may still need time to learn your family's routines. Ask candidates to describe a typical day in their last job.
Check 5: Options for urgent caregiving needs
If you need help quickly, ask whether the agency takes part in MOM's Advance Placement Scheme (APS). Under this pilot, participating agencies can bring in a set number of helpers before they have an employer, so you can interview face to face and the helper can start sooner. MOM says you need to qualify for the concessionary levy to use APS, for example because you live with a family member aged 67 or above, or a person certified as needing help with at least one daily activity. See our MDW levy and concession guide.
Check 6: Clear terms in writing
Before you sign, ask for the service agreement and read it at home. Look for:
- An itemised list of fees and what each covers.
- The replacement policy: how many replacements, within what period, and on what conditions.
- The refund policy if the placement ends early.
- What happens if the helper cannot manage the care needs you described.
An agency that is confident in its matching will explain these terms plainly. Ask for anything verbal to be added in writing.
Check 7: After-placement support
Elderly care changes over time. A parent may be discharged from hospital with new needs, or a helper may find night care harder than expected. Ask the agency how it supports both sides after placement: Does it check in during the first months? Can it help arrange training? Does it have staff who speak your helper's language? Will it mediate if there is a misunderstanding?
Red flags
- The agency cannot be found on MOM's EA Directory, or its staff cannot show a registration card.
- Every candidate is described as "experienced in elderly care" with no detail.
- Pressure to sign or pay on the same day.
- Reluctance to put the replacement or refund policy in writing.
- Claims that sound too certain, such as promising a perfect match.
How to compare agencies on SmartMaid
- Open the maids for elderly care listing and filter by the languages and experience you need.
- Shortlist five to ten biodata and note which agency published each one.
- Check those agencies on MOM's EA Directory.
- Enquire with two or three agencies, share your care profile, and compare how they respond.
- Interview your top candidates, ideally with your family member present.
If you prefer agencies to come to you, send one hiring request describing the care needs, and compare the replies.
FAQ
Should I choose an agency that specialises in elderly care?
Specialisation can help, but what matters most is whether the agency's current helpers match your family member's needs and whether it verifies their experience. Compare the actual biodata and how each agency answers your questions.
Can my helper get caregiving training after she arrives?
Yes. AIC's Caregivers Training Grant can subsidise approved courses for helpers caring for a family member at home. Check the eligible courses and current conditions on AIC's website.
Is a transfer helper better for elderly care?
A transfer helper already in Singapore can start sooner and may know local routines, but availability is limited. Compare transfer helpers with new-hire profiles side by side, and read our transfer maid guide for the process.
Related guides: MOM EA Directory guide · first-time employer guide.
Last reviewed: September 2026. Biodata figures are a snapshot of the SmartMaid catalogue on 29 September 2026. Scheme details change, so confirm current requirements on mom.gov.sg and aic.sg.
