How a Singapore shophouse is reshaping assisted living around community

Camino House is an assisted-living home in a Singapore shophouse where seven older adults live together with daily support. Cofounders Mariel Chee and Bennett Lee created it as an alternative to a traditional care facility, emphasizing a space that feels “beautiful and welcoming, not clinical or institutional.” The model centers on belonging, routine, and regular interaction with people beyond the residents themselves.

Singapore became a “super-aged” society in 2026, with 21.4% of citizens aged 65 or older, according to the article. Camino House sits in a small but growing private sector for older adults who need daily support but not nursing care. It was one of five providers in a 2023 Singapore initiative to test shared caregiving for seniors living together, a model the country later formalized in late 2025.

The residents range in age from 69 to 93 and live in a two-story Joo Chiat shophouse with six bedrooms, en suite bathrooms, and an elevator connecting the floors. Three healthcare attendants work in shifts, including overnight, to provide round-the-clock support. There is no doctor on-site, but Chee said a clinic is about a five-minute walk away.

Joo Chiat Social Club hosts activities on the ground floor, including exercise, cooking, rattan weaving, and sessions with volunteers or children from nearby preschools. The programs are open to Camino House residents and to non-resident participants, with a single-session pass costing about S$100 and covering activities, lunch, and care support. The three-hour sessions run three times a week, with plans to expand to daily programming next year, Chee said.

Camino House’s monthly costs start from S$4,500, or $3,515, depending on room type and care needs, including meals, laundry, and daily housekeeping. The model highlights a broader challenge for aging societies: safety and support matter, but so do choice, relationships, and daily purpose. For families evaluating care, the story underscores the value of asking not only who provides support, but how residents stay connected.