TTSH introduces new portal to help guide caregivers

SINGAPORE – Ms Jean Lim found herself out of her depth in February, when she suddenly had to care for her 71-year-old mother who had a fall.

Her mother had to undergo leg surgery after falling at an MRT station on the eve of Chinese New Year, and was later found to have degenerative disc disease – a condition where the soft discs between the spinal bones wear out over time.

The elderly woman chose to continue living on her own after being discharged from the hospital, instead of moving in with one of her children.

Ms Lim – who is married and has three children, aged four to 13 – found that a lot of work was needed to take care of her mother’s needs.

This included installing grab bars and other modifications in the shower to lower the risk of another fall, as well as making arrangements for home therapy.

“I was actually caught a bit unprepared,” said the 42-year-old, who works in the financial sector. “I did not know where to go for help.”

To help people like Ms Lim, Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH) has introduced CarePal, an online portal that aims to serve as a one-stop portal for caregivers.

Part of the NHG Health mobile app, CarePal allows caregivers to create a profile of their loved ones who are receiving care.

It then generates a resource package customised to the needs of the care recipient.

CarePal includes a “caregiving calculator”, which provides users with estimated costs associated with caregiving.

It also includes a curated resource library with links to articles, videos and infographics which provide users with information on available community services, how best to support their loved ones, and how to take care of themselves amid the pressures of caregiving.

CarePal is part of a slew of efforts under Project Carer Matters 2, an initiative by TTSH to strengthen the caregiving ecosystem in Singapore.

The project is supported by the National Research Foundation under the National Medical Research Council’s grant call on the caregiving ecosystem.

It is an enhancement to an earlier initiative introduced during the Covid-19 pandemic, which sought to identify and alleviate the problems faced by family caregivers.

As part of the project, TTSH is working with the Home Nursing Foundation on a befriending programme that matches more experienced caregivers with newer ones as a form of peer support.

TTSH nursing deputy director Chan Ee Yuee said more initiatives are needed to support Singapore’s caregivers.

She cited research conducted by the hospital, published in the Journal of Nutrition, Health and Ageing in 2019, which found that about a third of caregivers are at risk of depression and poor quality of life.

A 2010 report estimated the number of full-time caregivers here at around 210,000, said Dr Chan, who is the project lead and principal investigator for Project Carer Matters.

This figure is “just going to escalate higher and higher” as Singapore’s population rapidly ages, she added.

Over 21 per cent of its population will be aged 65 or older by 2030.

In the longer term, Dr Chan said she hopes CarePal can benefit caregivers across Singapore, beyond just those under the NHG Health cluster.

Project Carer Matters is also testing the home use of a fall detection system currently in place at TTSH.

Developed by healthtech firm Conex Healthcare, the system uses smart cameras and thermal imaging to detect falls and immediately alert a command centre, which will in turn inform caregivers and emergency services if needed.

Among those testing the new system is Ms Lim, who has it installed at her mother’s flat.

“Especially for caregivers who are unable to visit (our loved ones) daily, it gives us peace of mind,” she said.