02
July
2015
|
20:04
Asia/Singapore

HomeCare support takes flight

From left: Staff Nurse Yao Yan, AIP Programme, Alexandra Health System; Constance Goh, West Spring Secondary School; and Year 3 Pharmacy student Dee Jia Yi, Faculty of Science paying a home visit to elderly patient Mr Quek Chiu Boy

The NUS-mooted initiative ' Tri-Generational HomeCare @ North West ' which sees students providing holistic care to seniors through home visits, was launched by Guest-of-Honour Dr Teo Ho Pin, Mayor of North West District on 27 June at Republic Polytechnic.

Dr Teo lauded the students for coming up with the meaningful programme. Highlighting the programme's significance, he said, "Singapore is currently experiencing a rapidly ageing population, where one in eight residents are seniors aged 65 or older. By 2030, the ratio will become smaller at one in five residents. Hence it is important that we strengthen the understanding and bond between the ages so as to maintain a cohesive society.

homecare-2

From left: Dr Keith Lim, Assistant Dean (Education), Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine; Dr Michael Lau, Co-Chairman, Corporate Relations Standing Committee, NWCDC; Dr Wong; Dr Teo; Angeline Tay, Year 5 medical student, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine; and Kennedy linking hands at the launch

Kennedy Ng, Year 5 medical student and Project Director for the initiative, had earlier approached the North West Community Development Council (NWCDC) with his suggestion of starting a programme to benefit seniors in the district. Elaborating on the rationale behind the programme, he said that the idea was to "…tackle the medical and social issues of elderly and educating youths on the needs of the elderly…All student volunteers serving in this project have been inspired by our seniors who are so resilient and their caregivers who are very dedicated. Truly, it is better to give than to receive.

It is also hoped that the initiative will enable NUS students to develop leadership and communication skills in addition to enhancing their readiness for collaborating with fellow healthcare professionals.

Specialists from the Alexandra Health System's Ageing-In-Place (AIP) programme and NWCDC imparted befriending and caregiving skills to the students. Dr Wong Sweet Fun, AIP Programme Director, said the patients had benefited from the students' visits and that the tripartite collaboration added a new dimension to inter-generational relationships.

The programme targets vulnerable elderly living alone. Statistics from the Ministry of Health revealed that seniors constituted almost one in five of the patients re-admitted to hospital within a month of their discharge, due partly to their inability to care for themselves adequately at home.

Teams of six to seven individuals, led by NUS students from the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine; the Department of Pharmacy; or the Department of Social Work, who also oversee secondary school students in the North West District, would be responsible for the physical, mental and social care of two to three seniors or households. The teams would conduct hour-long house visits fortnightly over six months.

The inaugural cycle of the programme took place from January to June this year, where 50 NUS students and 100 secondary school students tended to 40 patients from Khoo Teck Puat Hospital. The second cycle is scheduled from July to December.