History and Milestones

St Luke’s ElderCare was named after Saint Luke, physician and writer of the Gospel and Acts of the Apostles. It was started in 1999 with the aim of providing eldercare services to families. Family members who are working may gain peace of mind knowing that their loved ones are in good hands.

: SLEC opened its first centres in Clementi, Hougang, Whampoa and Yishun in 2001.

1999 - Early 2000s

Planting the Seeds of
Community Care

Laying foundations for eldercare in the heartlands

St Luke’s ElderCare (SLEC) was founded in 1999 at a time when community-based eldercare was still taking shape in Singapore. Just three years after the opening of St Luke’s Hospital, the founding members observed that many patients were well enough to be discharged but still needed ongoing step-down care. The elders needed not only medical care, but also social and rehabilitative care to live well in the community.

From a modest first office in The Bible House at Armenian Street, SLEC’s founding team set up SLEC, laying the groundwork for day care centres which met elders’ physical needs, while also enhancing their psycho-social, cognitive and spiritual well-being.

SLEC opened its first centres in Clementi, Hougang, Whampoa and Yishun in 2001. To strengthen elders’ independence from the outset, SLEC integrated rehabilitation into centre-based care early on, introducing a Maintenance Rehabilitation Programme the following year.

2004 - Early 2010s

Growing with Our Elders

Extending our reach and championing active ageing

As Singapore’s population aged, the demand for accessible community care grew and SLEC grew alongside the elders it served. New centres were established progressively across the island – in Tampines (2004) and Bukit Timah (2008), followed by the Golden Years Centre in Hougang (2009) and Serangoon (2010).

SLEC also sought to strengthen social bonds across generations and within the community – it held its first Intergenerational Games in 2004, in partnership with Bendemeer Secondary School.

In the early 2010s, SLEC extended its reach further with centres in Ayer Rajah, Jurong East and Telok Blangah (all in 2011), and Changkat (2013), bringing its network to a dozen centres. In 2015, SLEC also expanded its services to include centre-based nursing and home care, catering to more elders with other care needs.

During this phase, SLEC started to promote active ageing, launching wellness programmes and introducing active rehabilitation services that offered tailored physiotherapy to support mobility and function.

: SLEC began offering wellness programmes at selected centres. This established SLEC as a frontrunner in promoting active ageing.

: SLEC introduced its first official arts programme, introducing elders to comic illustration, batik painting and ceramics.

Mid-2010s - 2019

Strengthening Holistic Care

Expanding with more programmes and services

By the mid-2010s, SLEC’s approach to care evolved further, with more enriching and person-centred programmes.

In 2015, SLEC introduced its first official arts programme, which opened new avenues for elders to explore creativity through comic illustration, batik painting and ceramics. In 2018, SLEC celebrated the creative journeys of its elders with a large-scale art exhibition at The Arts House, featuring works by 900 elders.

Strong partnerships with community stakeholders enabled SLEC to deepen its presence in the north, with new centres in Chong Pang, Nee Soon East and Nee Soon Central in 2016, even as the Yishun centre ceased operations. Growth continued with centres opening in Keat Hong and Marine Parade (2018), and later in Ang Mo Kio, Bukit Batok, Kebun Baru, Rivervale and Sumang (2019), bringing the total to 21 centres.

2020 - Present

Transforming Care for the Future

Resilience, collaboration and community impact

The year 2020 marked a defining chapter for SLEC. As the Covid-19 pandemic swept across Singapore, SLEC temporarily closed almost all its Senior Care Centres for the first time in its history. Yet even amid unprecedented disruption, SLEC pressed on – opening its Hougang Meadow centre and launching SLEC Residence @ Ang Mo Kio, the only nursing home opened in Singapore during the pandemic. This milestone marked SLEC’s entry into residential-based services and a significant expansion of its continuum of care.

In the years that followed, SLEC strengthened its role as a sector partner and capability builder. The establishment of the SLEC CommCare Academy and the inaugural CommCare Symposium underscored its commitment to knowledge sharing and sector development. Expansion continued with new centres opening in Bishan in 2023, and in One Punggol, Bukit Batok Central, Anchorvale and Northshore in 2024.

SLEC also began piloting new collaborative models with the opening of the REACH–SLEC Active Ageing Centre (Care) at Teck Whye Vista in 2024, a sector-first initiative where two community care organisations jointly run a centre offering active ageing, senior care and rehabilitation services.

At its 25th Anniversary Gala Dinner on 7 November 2024, graced by President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, SLEC launched the $30 million SLEC Community Transformation Fund. It will be used to support initiatives in six “IMPACT” areas — Innovate, Mentor, Programme, Advocate, Connect, Train — benefitting more than 45,000 elders in the next five years.

Through every chapter of growth and challenge, SLEC has remained driven by one mission : to enrich the lives of elders in the community.

: President Tharman Shanmugaratnam met some elders at SLEC’s 25th Anniversary Gala Dinner on 7 November 2024.