First government-run nursing home off to good start

SINGAPORE — The Republic’s first government-run nursing home, Pearl’s Hill Care Home, has successfully rehabilitated 18 patients since it began operations in January, with more on track to be discharged soon.

The nursing home, staffed with 50 nurses, has taken in 159 residents to date. It aims to help seniors become independent again, so that they can eventually return home.

On Wednesday (Sept 28), Health Minister Gan Kim Yong provided updates on its efforts at the official launch.

The 130-bed home near Chinatown took in its first 30 patients on Jan 15, two years after MOH announced its plans to operate nursing homes so that it can better understand the operating challenges of the sector and to catalyse the development of new models of care.

Pearl’s Hill Care Home is operated by Vanguard Healthcare — a MOH-backed nursing home operator. Vanguard will operate another nursing home in Woodlands, which will be opened at the end of 2017.

Besides looking at making care more accessible to seniors in Singapore, Mr Gan said Vanguard will work in partnership with hospitals and other community partners to provide “better continuity of care for seniors in the community”.

For example, Pearl’s Hill is partnering SingHealth, which is situated just across the road, to provide short term rehabilitation services for the Home’s patients for a period after a hospital stay, before they return home.

This has benefitted Madam Jamaliah Yacob, 61, who almost severed her right foot in a car accident in February. The sole breadwinner was initially worried that she would be admitted for too long to provide care for her husband who came down with a stroke six years ago. The doctor at Changi Hospital had told her that she would need at least one year before she could walk again, but she was back on her feet again after six months — two months in a hospital and four months at Pearl’s Hill.

Pearl’s Hill is also a ground to pilot innovations for the eldercare sector. Currently, it is working with Ngee Ann Polytechnic to create a toilet sensor that can help prevent falls by alerting caregivers when the patient attempts to stand up from the toilet seat unassisted, and a wheelchair storage system that can help save space.

As new models of care are developed, “(the MOH) will share our experiences and innovations with other providers in the eldercare sector to push the boundaries, so as to benefit the sector as a whole”, said Mr Gan.

Currently, there are more than 12,000 nursing home beds, 3,500 day care places and 6,900 home care places for seniors in Singapore. However, Singapore’s population is rapidly ageing, with the National Population and Talent Division statistics showing that the proportion of Singaporeans aged 65 and above grew from 13.1 per cent last year to 13.7 per cent this year.

However, Mr Gan also said that the MOH said it is on track to develop 17,000 nursing home beds, 6,200 day care places and 10,000 home care places by 2020.