A new social enterprise wants to shake up the adult diapers market by offering a

cheaper option for those who cannot afford the $200 to $300 that it can cost fo
r a month's supply.
Home Care Enterprises (HCE), set up by Changi General Hospital (CGH) last Decemb
er, decided to enter the market after CGH staff learnt that some patients strugg
le to afford necessities such as adult diapers.
In some cases, patients at home changed diapers only twice a day - compared to t
he average of five or six times daily - to save on costs. Such infrequent change
s can lead to bedsores, infections and complications - and more stays in hospita
l.
HCE will launch the Confidence brand of diapers next month at 65 cents a piece.
Its general manager Benjamin Cheam said this is about 30 per cent cheaper than t
he median price of popular brands such as Tena Value and Lille Suprem Fit.
CGH chairman Gerard Ee said: "Our diapers will shake the market. We hope other d
istributors will lower their prices. Even if they don't, this will provide (pati
ents with) a real alternative."
The diapers are made in Indonesia, and HCE is able to sell them at a lower price
as it does not spend on advertising and fees for middlemen, and it keeps its pr
ofit margin low, at about 10 per cent, Mr Ee said.
Checks by The Straits Times found the most commonly found adult diaper brand in
shops here is Tena Value, which costs between $9 and $10.70 for 10 pieces at sup
ermarkets and pharmacies.
Ms Zahara Mahmood, assistant director of the Neighbours programme - which aims t
o reduce the number of hospital admissions of the frail elderly - said 60 per ce
nt of some 300 seniors regularly admitted to CGH depend on diapers.
She said some of these patients scrimp and save on diapers, only to face other p
roblems.
A former cleaner in his 60s who is incontinent, for instance, changed his diaper
s only twice a day to save money as each costs $1.20. But the man ended up getti
ng urinary tract infections and was hospitalised two or three times in a month.
The launch of the diapers will come about a year after HCE's first product, an e
lectric homecare bed - similar to the ones used in hospitals - hit the market la
st December.
Before the launch of HCE's bed, suppliers were selling their versions from just
over $2,000 to about $23,000, Mr Cheam said. But suppliers have lowered their pr
ices by 10 to 15 per cent after HCE launched its bed at $1,500, he added. Checks
by ST found that the bulk of homecare beds on the market now cost between $1,20
0 and over $3,000.
Mr Ee said: "We are not competing against the lowest-priced products, as we want
to maintain quality. We are here to effect change."
HCE aims to keep its profit margins low and supply quality products at a lower c
ost. But it has to be profitable to keep the enterprise sustainable, to pay sala
ries and develop new products, he added.
Besides selling beds, HCE also rents beds out for $200 a month to those who need
them temporarily.

And B2 and C class CGH patients also get a subsidy for the first three months fo
r diapers and bed rental. This is to help them in their transition from hospital
to home.
Retiree Loh Kah Weng, 64, bought a bed from HCE for his mother, 86, as she had f
ractured her spinal cord. The bed makes it easier for her to get in and out.
Social workers like Jasmine Wong of the Hua Mei Mobile Clinic welcomed HCE's pro
ducts, saying it will help cash-strapped families who do not qualify for governm
ent subsidies for such items.