The MOH told The Sunday Times it will identify the operators of the two new nursing homes in the west at a later stage.

Explaining the choice of location, it said there were fewer nursing homes in the west compared with the number in other regions.

Of the 63 nursing homes run by private operators and voluntary welfare organisations, seven are in the west.

The east and the north each have double that figure, while the central/south region has more than three times that number, the MOH said.

There were 9,200 nursing-home beds, as of December last year, but demand is expected to go up as the population of the elderly soars.

By 2030, 900,000 people here will be over the age of 65, about treble the number today.

The MOH said the new nursing homes in the west are expected to serve primarily subsidised patients. The facilities will not be very different from those in many existing purpose-built nursing homes, it added.

The new homes will be equipped to handle people with dementia who cannot do simple things like dressing or eating.

Five nursing homes in the west told The Sunday Times they have reached full - or almost full - capacity. Patients typically stay for a period ranging from a few months to several years.

Hong Kah GRC MP Ang Mong Seng, whose ward will include the Bukit Batok nursing home, noted the lack of nursing homes serving the western region.

As demand goes up, senior citizens in the area will benefit from having one close by, he said.

This article was first published in The Straits Times .