St Luke's Hospital Puts 'Community' Back Into Healthcare

It works with partners like health clusters to allow more seniors to age comfortably at home

- Judith Tan

Mr Nar Swee Kim and his wife Lee Lan came from Malaysia to Singapore in 2011 to be with two of their six children.

Mr Nar, now 91, and Madam Lee, 86, have both been bed-bound for the past three years. He suffered multiple strokes and has dementia, while she is battling developed peripheral artery disease, a condition in which narrowed arteries reduce blood flow to the legs.

Their care is managed by two foreign domestic helpers at their flat in Bukit Batok, with additional support from a home nursing service provided by St Luke's Hospital, which visits every two months.

Another person who has benefited from the hospital's services is Ms Priscilla Yeo, 68, who retired after working at Changi Airport for 30 years and hoped for a fresh start in life after retirement.

However, she was hit by recurring health issues, making frequent trips to hospital inevitable and resulting in her feeling down.

But since joining St Luke's Hospital's Western Silvercare programme—a community initiative which promotes health screening, preventive health measures and active ageing for seniors living in Bukit Batok—she has regained her strength, energy and self-confidence.

Associate Professor Tan Boon Yeow, chief executive of St Luke's Hospital, told The Sunday Times that the hospital, which was established in 1996, has been working for decades "to put 'community' back into healthcare".

"It was and still is a ground-up effort," he said.

The hospital works with community partners like social service agencies New Life Community Services and St Luke's ElderCare, the Agency for Integrated Care and the different healthcare clusters to provide comprehensive care, enabling more seniors to age comfortably at home and within their communities.

This was what Prime Minister Lawrence Wong had planned for Toa Payoh, one of Singapore's oldest towns, and "one or two other places" with a higher concentration of seniors.