3-in-1 centre offers integrated community care for seniors
Published on
11 Oct 2024
Published by
The Straits Times
SINGAPORE – After retired taxi driver Hoong Yan Pui had a fall and suffered a knock to his head in November 2023, he stayed at Ng Teng Fong General Hospital for several months before visiting the Reach-SLEC Active Ageing Centre (Care) @ Teck Whye Vista in May.
Besides engaging in exercises for rehabilitation there, the 74-year-old gets to interact with other seniors.
“It’s very convenient for me to come to this all-in-one centre for rehabilitation to strengthen my legs, and then enjoy other activities like colouring, so my mind doesn’t turn rusty,” he said.
The centre, a collaboration between Reach Community Services and St Luke’s ElderCare (SLEC), is the first of its kind in the eldercare sector. It was officially opened on Oct 11 by Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong, who is also Minister for Trade and Industry and an MP for Chua Chu Kang GRC.
An active ageing centre (care) provides more than the services of an active ageing centre – it also offers additional care services, such as daycare and community rehabilitation, at separate facilities nearby.
This aligns with Singapore’s Age Well SG initiative to build an integrated care ecosystem.
The Reach-SLEC centre offers three services under one roof: daycare and day rehabilitation services by SLEC, and active ageing activities by Reach Community Services.
Speaking at the launch, DPM Gan said Singapore is one of the fastest-ageing countries in the world. By 2030, around one in four Singaporeans will be aged 65 or older. About 83,000 seniors will be living alone.
“We want to set up facilities like this active ageing centre, so that we can continue to support you. But in running these services, the Government cannot do it alone.”
He added: “We need to see how we can work with our community organisations.
“We hope that they can work together, join hands to leverage each other’s strength, so that we can serve our people better.”
Since the three-in-one centre was set up in February, Reach and SLEC have served a total of about 450 seniors – at full capacity, it can serve more than 1,200 seniors.
Mr Michael Lai, chief executive of Reach, said: “It is a testament to the saying ‘two is better than one’, and as a result, we conceived a unique care model that provides a seamless recovery journey all under one roof. With the combined expertise from Reach and SLEC, together with our seniors, we will co-create a community that cares in Choa Chu Kang.”
Reach has expertise in active ageing, while SLEC has 25 years of experience in offering seniors a range of care services, including dementia daycare, maintenance daycare and rehabilitation services. Both organisations also jointly run a senior care centre at Senja Valley, which officially opened in July.
Dr Kenny Tan, chief executive of SLEC, said the integrated community care model is a significant shift from existing models.
“Instead of being service-centric, this model is senior-centric, where seniors receive care in a more coordinated, seamless and timely manner,” he said.
“This is especially important as seniors often require multiple services as they become frailer and less mobile with age,” he added.
“We can leverage each other’s strengths, optimise our different resources of funding, space and volunteers, and achieve greater collective impact – impact that is greater than the sum of its parts.”
Madam Lai Mooi, 84, and her husband, Mr Foo Sze Keng, 89, are Teck Whye residents who frequent the newly opened Active Ageing Centre (Care). Madam Lai drops Mr Foo off at SLEC’s daycare centre before joining her own exercise sessions at Reach.
After their individual activities, they spend time together in the afternoon playing games and interacting with other seniors.
Madam Lai said she is relieved to have such a centre near her.
“I’m getting old and cannot take care of him all day,” she said. “It’s better for him to be here to exercise and make new friends.”
SLEC will be collaborating with more partners in delivering community care. It will co-run an Active Ageing Centre in Bukit Batok East with Fei Yue Community Services, slated to open in 2025.
In partnership with New Life Community Services, it will run an integrated facility housing both an Active Ageing Centre (Care) and a nursing home in Bukit Panjang – Jelapang, to be opened in 2026.
Source: The Straits Times © SPH Media Limited. Reproduced with permission.
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