In essence, a pressing need for policy reassessment to take advantage of the circumstances looming in the near future is posed by the growing and aging population of Singaporeans.
Although Singapore’s government has put in place a variety of initiatives to make it easier for seniors to access healthcare locally, new investments and the flow of private market players have not yet taken control of the situation. In turn, the elderly care services sector is in a state of stagnation due to society’s lack of dynamic activity.
The economic system of Singapore’s elderly care will, however, undoubtedly see unprecedented growth as the population ages, creating a critical need for an improved home healthcare system.
What Is Home Care?
Home care relieves the load that would otherwise fall on healthcare facilities, community hospitals, skilled nursing facility, assisted living institutions, rehabilitation centres, elderly co-living centres, and nursing homes by encouraging people who need the utmost assistance, regardless of age, to continue to stay in their homes.
The majority of home healthcare providers provide a wide variety of clinical and personal services, such as human services, occupational therapy, physical therapy, and nursing home care. Medical providers, therapists, and home health aides, private nurses can help with post-operative care and disease monitoring by physically visiting their patients’ homes or virtually adopting telehealth.
Licensed, skilled nurse practitioners may also offer part-time, short-term, or full-time home health services. Home care, likewise, can provide older adults with the best medical care in comfortable circumstances while allowing family members to go about their daily lives.
Seniors and the Increasing Elderly Population in Singapore
More swiftly than the rest of the globe, Singapore’s population is growing older, and home care demand increase. In hindsight, the Singapore Population White Paper forecasted that by 2030, Singapore will have 900,000 more residents over the milestone of 65 than when it did in 2015.
In order to meet the needs of older adults ages sixty and older, there is an escalation in the demand for elderly home care in Singapore. According to projections, family eldercare services will increase by 41% by 2030, with long working hours averaging 29 to 41 hours on a weekly basis.
The Singaporean government established the Action Plan for Successful Aging initiative in 2015 in response to the increasingly pressing concern. The program covers the planning for advancements throughout many domains, like elderly care services, volunteering, health and wellness, social activities and inclusivity, continuous learning, accommodation, transportation, and community amenities.
Pandemic in 2020 and How Home Care Demand Progressively Increased
One of the primary priorities of elderly patients who transition into a nursing facility is to rehabilitate and then just go home. The COVID-19 pandemic has given a trigger to completely redefine their future, even if the increased incidence rate and healthcare expenses in Singapore have also already helped to promote in-home care services.
Evaluating their alternatives for post-acute and long-term care could be a significant concern for families and patients as a result of the COVID-19 crisis’s lingering repercussions. The best scenario would be for the elders to receive assistance in the most suitable environment, be it at home or in an institution for long-term care or assisted living. More patients might be eligible for some type of at-home healthcare services with the use of remote monitoring, telemedicine, support networks, and rehabilitation services.
Better Reforms and Programs to Attend to the Elderly Needs
As the need for at-home care increased, numerous patients with chronic diseases looked into this intriguing choice. Among the ecosystem that makes up the eldercare services and home care industry of Singapore today, is the Hospital-to-Home program established in 2017. Such initiatives are intended to improve healthcare and social community integration for better health outcomes. The programme now sends registered nurses and home care providers from surrounding hospitals and nursing facilities to patients’ homes to administer their services.
For senior care facilities, COVID’s effects continue to have a detrimental impact. Consequently, the demand for home care has substantially increased as a result of the pandemic. The home care sector has a once-in-a-lifetime chance to leverage this demand.
Conversely, it also implies that currently operating home care services will need to evolve to accommodate changing patient demands, deliver quality service, encourage job satisfaction, and boost elder care safety while continuing to operate profitably.
Seniors Are Part of the Community Too, Invest in Their Care
The pandemic has wreaked more havoc on elder care than most other sectors combined. It has also been revealed that families often choose to care for older relatives personally or pay for in-home care rather than placing them in senior care facilities like assisted living or old folks home.
Still, there is still a place for home care. They can provide highly skilled individuals, resources, and programs that enhance the standard of living that an ageing person might not have. They will need to persuade families looking for assistance for their family members to believe they are handling the expectations of living within their own homes in order to defy the trend.
Home Care in the Coming Years
Notwithstanding the fact that more elderly folks than ever before were seeking care at home, the pandemic altered the perspectives of both patients and healthcare professionals. It is advisable to recognize that home care won’t be leaving any time soon as earliest as possible. And yet it won’t serve as a universal fix either.
To overcome the aforementioned challenges and adjust to the changing health industry, home care providers will be expected to come up with new solutions.
