A new hub that aims to meet the health and social needs of elderly residents in the east was officially opened yesterday.
Our SilverCare Hub comprises two healthcare facilities and a senior care centre at Our Tampines Hub. Seniors can use the different facilities, which are all nearby, while benefiting from more seamless care as the different groups can share medical and other information.
While each of the three facilities has its own staff, they work closely together, providing services such as physiotherapy, dementia daycare, community rehabilitation, counselling and primary care.
Those requiring more complex or specialised care can be referred to Changi General Hospital (CGH).
The hub, which was officially opened by Finance Minister and Tampines GRC MP Heng Swee Keat, is a partnership between CGH, St Andrew's Senior Care (Tampines), the Eastern Community Health Centre and the Tampines Family Medicine Clinic.
Mr Heng said the hub is a "concrete manifestation" of the Government's efforts to partner the public and private sectors, marrying health and social care to support seniors to age well. "Our SilverCare Hub is situated within an ecosystem of health and wellness; it is side by side with the Wellness Centre and the ActiveSG gym," he added.
"The message is clear - we want to rehabilitate and provide treatment to our seniors with the eventual goal of returning them back to health and active ageing."
Adjunct Associate Professor Lee Chien Earn, deputy group chief executive of SingHealth Regional Health System, said the hub enables seniors in the east to receive comprehensive and integrated care within their community.
The hub is part of the larger system of care in Tampines and the east, which also involves groups such as grassroots organisations, voluntary welfare organisations and the Community Networks for Seniors, he added.
He said the concepts used in the setting up of the hub could be replicated at other sites in the future, although implementation may differ.
While the three facilities have been open since last year, there is now an established set of protocols to provide seniors with a seamless transition across different facilities, said Ms Yap Mei Foon, director of Integrated Care Development at CGH.
The community health centre and the family medicine clinic are located next to each other on the third floor, while the St Andrew's Senior Care centre is on the fourth floor.
The elderly can also make use of other facilities within Our Tampines Hub to keep active, such as gardening in the community garden or playing table tennis in the auditorium.
The clinic conducts health and well-being checks, including tests on sight, hearing and eating abilities.
Information gathered can be shared between the three facilities, with the patient's consent, to enable a seamless care experience.
Dr Leong Choon Kit, director of Tampines Family Medicine Clinic, said: "With the assessment, the other partners can look at the same patient comprehensively, rather than doing the assessment three times."
This will also allow better understanding of the patient's condition over time, he added.
Former hotel chef Laila Kadir, 72, was diagnosed with osteoarthritis in both knees, and her doctor recommended she take part in daycare activities at the St Andrew's Senior Care centre and physiotherapy at the community health centre.
She said she feels better and healthier after the sessions. "Before, I felt lazy and had no mood to do anything. But here, I feel happy."
