Over the years, Singapore’s ageing population has been rapidly increasing, caused by declining birth rates and increased life expectancy. When put together, this poses multiple major problems in our economy, healthcare system, and society at large.
With that, we have seen an increase in elderly care service providers and assisted-living facilities in the country to cater to the growing number of seniors in Singapore. One of these includes hospice care centres.
What is hospice care and how does it work?
Hospice care is a specific type of care that focuses on patients who are in the final stages of their terminal illness. Unlike general care or eldercare services, hospice care is only available to individuals who have a life expectancy of maybe six months or less, according to a certified physician. These individuals are either diagnosed with diseases that are incurable or wish to stop curative treatment to let the illness run its usual course.
While most patients in these care facilities are made up of seniors, children and young adults are also eligible for hospice care in Singapore.
Beyond being a viable treatment plan for those with terminal conditions, hospice care is more centred around its philosophy of care than the actual treatment itself. This philosophy acknowledges that death is the final stage of life, and they don’t try to postpone death in any way, shape or form. Instead, hospice care treatment focuses on treating one’s symptoms and not the illness and chooses to focus on improving the patient’s quality of life.
At the same time, hospice care is also family-centred and includes both the patients and their families in all of the decision making involved.
What is the difference between hospice and palliative care?
More often than not, most people use hospice care and palliative care interchangeably, thinking that both terms mean the exact same thing. While they do share certain similar traits, they’re actually rather different in nature. The most distinct differences between the two are the time they are available as well as the type of care provided.
As mentioned earlier, hospice care is usually only recommended to patients when they are at the final stages of their illness, where they will put a stop to all curative treatments and focus solely on treating the symptoms rather than the illness.
On the other hand, palliative care can be provided at any stage of chronic illness, even as soon as one is diagnosed. Patients who choose to opt for palliative care are not required to wait until their disease worsens to the advanced stage, In fact, doctors recommend that those diagnosed with serious conditions be treated as soon as possible.
Common types of services provided in hospice care centres
Nursing care
One of the most common services that are consistently provided across hospice care centres all over Singapore and around the world is nursing care. Hospice patients will be assigned to one case manager nurse who will take charge of all their nursing care needs.
This refers to a range of medical duties from care coordination to complex nursing procedures like wound care and injections.
Personal Care
Compared to nursing care, personal care refers to the basic activities of daily living that an elderly person would have to go through in a day. This includes toileting, washing, dressing, feeding, transferring, and mobility activities.
Considering that they are in the last stages of their illness along with their old age, many patients will require a great deal of assistance and care in these areas due to their limited mobility.
Medical social services
Apart from their physical health, healthcare professionals in hospice care centres also provide their patients with medical social services to assist them with their emotional and social needs. People who are diagnosed with chronic illnesses, especially elderly persons, are more susceptible to stress, loneliness, and even depression.
To combat this and help them improve their quality of life despite their condition, clinical social workers use various modalities to evaluate their patient’s emotions and behaviours like cognitive behavioural therapy, supportive psychotherapy, art therapy, and mindfulness for stress reduction
Respite care
Taking care of an elderly person and a caregiver’s general nature of work can be both physically and mentally taxing. In order for them to recuperate from their various responsibilities, most hospice care centres and elderly care services in Singapore provide respite care. It is important that these essential workers also receive sufficient time to rest and recharge to avoid burnout.
Usually, there is no proper duration for how long respite care lasts but they can be as short as a few hours up to a few weeks. In Singapore, caregivers can receive respite care at a senior care centre, nursing home, or at night for sundowning patients. Depending on the location, caregivers can enjoy certain programs such as group meals, music, dance or at classes, and entertainment.
Why should one opt for hospice care?
There are people who refuse treatment despite the severity of their condition in order to avoid various tests and frequent visits to the hospital. With hospice care, you can choose to spend your time in a more comfortable environment, close to your family and caring staff.
Hospice care medical staff don’t just take care of patients—they take care of families. If you are looking for an elder care alternative where your loved one can age in place with dignity, hospice care may be the right option for you.
Hospice Care Service |
Dover Park Hospice |
| Speciality |
|
| Website | https://www.doverpark.org.sg/ |
| Address | 10 Jalan Tan Tock Seng |
| Telephone | 6500 7272 |
| Operating Hours | 11:00am – 7:00pm daily |
Hospice Care Service |
Assisi Hospice |
| Speciality |
|
| Website | https://www.assisihospice.org.sg/ |
| Address | 832 Thomson Road |
| Telephone | 6832 2650 |
| Operating Hours | 24 hours daily |
Hospice Care Service |
Metta Hospice Care |
| Speciality |
|
| Website | https://www.metta.org.sg/hq/ |
| Address | 32 Simei Street 1 (HQ) |
| Telephone | 6580 4695 |
| Operating Hours | Monday – Friday: 8:30am – 10:30pm |
Hospice Care Service |
HCA Hospice Care |
| Speciality |
|
| Website | https://www.hca.org.sg/ |
| Address |
705 Serangoon Road, Block A #03-01 @Kwong Wai Shiu Hospital (Main office)
|
| Telephone | 6251 2561 |
| Operating Hours | Monday – Friday: 8:30am – 5:30pm |
Hospice Care Service |
Hospice Care – Singapore Cancer Society |
| Speciality |
|
| Website | https://www.singaporecancersociety.org.sg/get-help/hospice-home-care/about-hospice-home-care.html |
| Address | 15 Enggor Street, #04-01, Realty Centre (Main office) |
| Telephone | 1800 727 3333 |
| Operating Hours | Monday – Friday: 10:30am – 4:00pm |
Hospice Care Service |
MWS Home Care and Home Hospice |
| Speciality |
|
| Website | https://mws.sg/product/mws-home-care-and-home-hospice/ |
| Address | 70 Barker Road #05-01 (Corporate Services) |
| Telephone |
6478 4700 |
| Operating Hours | Monday – Friday: 8:30am – 5:30pm |
Hospice Care Service |
Homage |
| Speciality |
|
| Website | https://www.homage.sg/ |
| Address | 12 Kallang Avenue, #03-19/20 (HQ) |
| Telephone | 6100 0055 |
| Operating Hours | 24 hours daily |
Hospice Care Service |
AIC Home Hospice Care |
| Speciality |
|
| Website | https://www.aic.sg/ |
| Address | No.5 Maxwell Road, #10-00 Tower Block, MND Complex (HQ) |
| Telephone | 1800-650-6060 |
Hospice Care Service |
Tzu Chi Singapore Hospice Care |
| Speciality |
|
| Website | https://www.tzuchi.org.sg/en/our-missions/medicine/home-care-services/ |
| Address | 9 Elias Road |
| Telephone | 6582 9958 |
| Operating Hours | Monday – Friday: 10:00am – 6:00pm |
Hospice Care Service |
Lien Centre for Palliative Care |
| Speciality |
|
| Website | https://www.duke-nus.edu.sg/lcpc |
| Address | 8 College Road |
| Telephone | 6516 7666 |
| Operating Hours | Monday – Friday: 9:00am – 5:00pm |
Hospice Care Service |
Tsao Foundation Mobile Clinic |
| Speciality |
|
| Website | https://tsaofoundation.org/ |
| Address | 298 Tiong Bahru Road, #15-01/06 Central Plaza (Main office) |
| Telephone |
6593 9500
|
| Operating Hours | Monday – Thursday: 8:30am – 6:00pm Friday: 8:30am – 5:30pm |
Hospice Care Service |
Bright Vision Hospital |
| Speciality |
|
| Website | https://www.singhealth.com.sg/SCH/our-hospitals/bright-vision-hospital/about-bvh |
| Address | 5 Lor Napiri |
| Telephone | 6248 5755 |
| Operating Hours | 10:00am – 9:00pm daily |
Hospice Care Service |
St. Joseph’s Home |
| Speciality |
|
| Website | https://www.stjh.org.sg/ |
| Address | 36 Jurong West Street 24 |
| Telephone | 6268 0482 |
| Operating Hours | 10:00am – 12:00pm, 2:30pm – 9:00pm daily |
Hospice Care Service |
St. Luke’s Hospital |
| Speciality |
|
| Website | https://www.slh.org.sg/service/palliative-care/ |
| Address | 2 Bukit Batok Street 11 |
| Telephone | 6563 2281 |
| Operating Hours | 24 hour daily |
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