Dr See Qin Yong (CGH)
Consultant, Care ＆ Health Integration, Changi General Hospital
From the patients’ perspectives, they love the programme and enjoy the experience of recovering in the comforts of their home – dream state. Patients are also hearing about the programme from their friends, and it shows that the programme has permeated through the ground and is getting recommended to others.
Clinically and medically, it is shown that patients with dementia will do better in a home environment, and it allows for a closer relationship between nurses and patients.
Case example: A patient’s home was missing equipment (e.g. geriatric chair), and the team focused on enhancing the environment and individualising the care to the patient. The patient went from being almost bedbound to being able to sit in a chair and self-feed. On top of providing acute treatment, the team was able to look into other aspects of the care to make it more holistic.
Case example: A palliative patient struggled with repeated admissions. The team could spend time talking to the family about end-of-life care and advanced care planning, building rapport with the family to address their needs.