Efforts to improve quality of home and community care

MOH and AIC's Reply

Lianhe Zaobao, 10 Nov 2016

Efforts to improve quality of home and community care

We thank Ms Lu Shao Mei for her good suggestions to shift healthcare into the community (“Suggestions for community healthcare”, Oct 27). Many seniors tell us that they prefer to age in their own homes. To support our seniors’ aspirations, MOH and AIC, in partnership with the Community Care sector, are working to enhance home and centre-based care services and to improve awareness of such services so that our seniors can age well at home.

We have been expanding the capacity of day rehabilitation, day care and basic nursing services through the development of Senior Care Centres across Singapore. In the last five years, we have increased capacity by 67% to 3,500 day places and target to reach 6,200 day places by 2020. These centres are located within the community, enabling those in need to receive care services such as day rehab, in a familiar environment close to their homes, and allow working caregivers to ensure that their loved ones are cared for while they are at work. 

Information and resources on Community Care are available on AIC’s Singapore Silver Pages (www.silverpages.sg) or at AIC’s Singapore Silver Line (SSL) at 1800-650-6060. The public can also enquire at nearby care services such as senior care centres and Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS) clinics. A mobile app, AICare Link, is also available to help users find eldercare-related schemes and grants. Alternatively, members of the public can pick up useful guides and resources on eldercare services and caregiving from AIC’s Eldercare Info Corners found at 132 community locations islandwide. The materials are free and available in different languages.

To reach out to the public, AIC organises free monthly health-related lunchtime talks at AICare Link @ Maxwell. We also conduct briefings and talks for community volunteers so that they can share necessary eldercare information with their residents.

We agree that retirees and housewives can play a part in making a difference. We welcome them in joining the Community Care sector as care support staff to care for their peers who are more frail. We recently enhanced the Community Care Traineeship Programme that provides relevant training for newly-joined care support staff, those who are interested can call SSL.

At the same time, we welcome volunteers to join us in the Community Befriending programme. They can play a role in befriending and supporting seniors in the community who may be living alone. 

Enhancing community care is an ongoing effort. More needs to be done and we will certainly step up our efforts in this area. 

Lim Bee Khim

Director, Corporate Communications Division

Ministry of Health

Andy Seet

Director, Corporate and Marketing Communications

Agency for Integrated Care

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Forum Letter

Lianhe Zaobao, 27 Oct 2016

对社区医疗护理的建议

为了打造温馨的社会，我国政府打算逐步改变医疗护理的模式，把重心从医院转向社区和住家。这是一个令人鼓舞且值得赞扬的举措。

上述计划将能提升社区的医疗服务，加强医疗领域与民众的紧密配合。我国常见的慢性疾病如癌症、中风、失智、精神、糖尿病等，病人往往需要定期做复健与长期的治疗。有了这项计划后，居民就无须经常到医院去看病，他们可以在邻近的社区，接受更妥善和便捷的护理，同时减轻了金钱费用上的负担。 

目前，除了政府部门外，许多民间慈善团体，也为国人提供高效率的医疗照顾。在推行社区医疗护理计划之际，我提出以下的建议，希望能帮助我国的护理模式更臻完善。

一、编印医疗护理团体手册：近年来，我国全岛各地增设了不少医疗中心、援助团体、疗养院、护理中心等，以应付不同病患者及各阶层人民的需求。但是，一般的民众可能缺乏资料来源，或者没有留意新资讯，不懂得上网查找资料，以致身体出现状况时，不知道该去哪里求医。结果，病人和家属感到彷徨无助，甚至延误了治疗。编印医疗手册，让民众比较容易查知有关服务和针对的对象。为此，我建议卫生部把医院、政府诊疗所、医疗中心等相关团体的名称、地址、联系电话、服务性质及范围等，用四种语文编写在医疗护理小册子里，让各族居民在遇到问题时，能及时寻找援助的团体。册子可以每年更新资料一次，置放在联络所、诊疗所等公众场所，让居民随时翻阅，对我国的医疗设施一目了然。

二、加强公众保健意识：社区医疗护理中心应该举办一些公众教育的活动，加强公众保健意识，让人民懂得预防各种疾病，并且保持活跃健康的生活方式。中心除了提供病患复健等疗后护理服务外，也应该协助家属调适心理、增进医疗知识、提升保健意识等。

三、把复健治疗带入不同的社区：希望复健治疗中心能在不同的社区里设立，这样东、西、南、北、中社区的病患都能惠及。例如：设立在红山的“中风病人扶助站”近期开幕，协助病人改善生活质量，让他们能尽快地融入社会；坐落在裕廊东的首家社区癌症复原中心也开始运作，为病患提供心理辅导和物理治疗，并且为看护者开办免费课程，教导正确的居家护理知识。我觉得以上两个团体，在病人的后续治疗方面扮演着非常重要的角色，希望别的社区也能成立类似的康复中心。

四、积极招募社区的义工：当局应该积极发动招募邻里义工的宣传活动，吸引一些家庭主妇或身体健康的退休人士参与。中心也可以和区内的学校合作，让高年级的学生接受基本的护理培训，组成义工队伍，为社区尽心尽力。若要医疗计划成功，除了拥有强大的医疗团队外，我们还需要热心邻里义工的援助。招募社区义务工作者，既能加强小区的凝聚力，又可以解决人力资源短缺的问题。

总之，为了应付我国老龄化人口的医疗需求，同时帮助国人在地安老和颐养天年，我国的医疗护理体系有转型的必要。提升社区的医疗水平，让人人付得起医疗保健费用，是我国医疗护理系统努力发展的方向。

卢绍美