Focus on the patient, not his condition
IT system that shows patients' interests to help staff understand them better to be deployed in 2018
Once his physiotherapy sessions included Latin music and dance, one senior citizen who was recovering from a stroke perked up and made good progress.
Mr Lim The Leng, 70, had been listless when he started physiotherapy with Touch Home Care (THC) after suffering a stroke and several falls at his Ang Mo Kio home.
Then, an attentive THC nurse revealed to the physiotherapist that he enjoyed Latin dancing.
So she incorporated Latin music into her sessions, even occasionally dancing with him.
This motivated him to meet therapy goals after 18 visits.
Next year, voluntary welfare organisations (VWOs) treating the elderly will be able to get a Facebook-like timeline of their client's history and interests from a new healthcare information technology system, IngoT PCC (Person-Centred Care).
"Currently, care plans and individual needs are recorded manually," said Mr Tan Song Mong, director of the People's Action Party Community Foundation's Senior Care Division.
These will all be integrated into a single platform, improving productivity of eldercare operators with IngoT PCC, which was developed with funding from philanthropic house Lien Foundation.
Its chief executive officer, Mr Lee Poh Wah, said: "We have eradicated over more than 140 types of paper, forms and reports, by digitising all the processes and interactions.
"Productivity has increased by 10 per cent."
IngoT has been around since 2007.
The latest edition of IngoT PCC will be given free to 11 VWOs that run 25 eldercare services and centres.
DEPLOY
Developed by aged care technology solutions provider, Pulsesync, the system is scheduled to be deployed early next year.
Its managing director Ken Tan said: "We know so much, yet so little about our patients."
Mr Lee said: "We want to drive a paradigm shift towards a person-centred care philosophy. Our seniors are people, not just a collection of medical conditions.
"We must focus not just on medicine, but also connect those in the circle of care, build relationships and trust and, above all, maximise quality of life for our seniors."
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