LHN to scale up senior-living business with standalone facilities - The Business Times

[SINGAPORE] Property and facilities management group LHN is exploring property acquisitions and master leases as it tests a senior-living pilot concept, Jubiliv. It is eyeing at least two standalone facilities within the next five years.

The group is seeking a site for its first such facility, which is expected to accommodate upwards of 100 rooms, subject to finalisation, group managing director and executive director Jess Lim told The Business Times in an interview on Monday (Oct 26).

LHN has participated in tenders for potential properties and is awaiting the outcomes, she said. The group is looking at properties with a gross floor area of at least 50,000 square feet (sq ft).

“If we are smooth in securing the site for the standalone facility, we should be able to fully launch this business within maybe 12 to 18 months’ time,” she said.

In the interim, LHN may consider introducing Jubiliv at other Coliwoo properties if demand and take-up are sufficiently strong, Lim added.

The group intends to use a pilot at Coliwoo’s facility in Boon Lay to assess the most suitable room configurations for seniors and the services required before expanding the offering.

Jubiliv is expected to become a key growth driver for LHN’s facilities management (FM) business, with the planned standalone facility envisioned to contribute “significant double-digit percentage growth to the segment by 2029”, said Lim.

For the six months ended Mar 31, 2026, LHN’s FM business recorded revenue of S$17.9 million, down 7.8 per cent from S$19.4 million a year earlier. The segment accounted for about 29 per cent of the group’s revenue for the period. The group currently provides integrated FM services for industrial, commercial and residential properties, including cleaning, pest control, landscaping and building maintenance.

Lim sees the expansion into senior care as a “natural progression” of the business. She noted that LHN already provides housekeeping, cleaning and maintenance services to residential properties, including those under its Coliwoo co-living portfolio.

LHN kicked off the Jubiliv model on Oct 21 with five senior-friendly rooms at its Coliwoo Boon Lay property, marking its entry into Singapore’s eldercare market. The group also plans to expand through partnerships with hospitality operators and landlords.

Its move into eldercare comes as Singapore’s population ages, with the proportion of citizens aged 65 and above rising to 21.4 per cent in 2026, from 13.7 per cent a decade ago. The figure is projected to exceed 25 per cent in 2035.

Jubiliv is intended to bridge the gap between nursing homes catering to seniors with higher medical or dependency needs, and premium assisted-living facilities that may be out of reach for some families.

The five rooms, which average about 280 square feet each, are located in a dedicated area on the Boon Lay property’s first floor. They have been fitted with additional safety features, including grab bars and fall-detection sensors.

Monthly rates for Jubiliv’s Boon Lay pilot start at around S$2,800 to S$3,000 per room, while future standalone facilities could charge around S$5,000 to S$6,000, depending on their location, Lim said. She believes the higher price range could put Jubiliv in a “sweet spot”, allowing more middle-income seniors looking to live independently.

This would also position Jubiliv below premium assisted-living developments such as Perennial Living, where monthly apartment rates start at S$8,900.

Two of Jubiliv’s five pilot rooms have already been taken up. Since its launch, LHN has been receiving an average of around 10 to 15 inquiries daily.

Short-term stays are available from one week, with Lim targeting a weekly rate of around S$1,000. Longer stays of at least three months may be offered at lower monthly rates.

Beyond accommodation and basic caregiving services, LHN hopes to provide a broader range of recreational and community activities at its future standalone facilities.

Depending on the properties secured, these could include communal dining areas, swimming pools, pickleball courts and spaces for music, wellness and other activities.

“Seniors want to have more control over their post-retirement life. They want a more enriched senior life. Their role is no longer ‘after I retire, I need to stay at home and take care of my grandchildren’,” said Lim.

She added: “The scope of services that we target to offer them should be more holistic – one that not only takes care of their physical well-being but also their mental well-being, with a high engagement level so that senior illnesses like dementia will not set in so fast.”

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