Aging affects people in different ways, making it more challenging to maintain their mental, emotional, and physical well-being. As seniors experience decreased mobility, impaired senses, and a loss of their abilities, they must rely on the people around them to help meet their daily needs.
The transition may be a struggle for elders who aren't used to asking for assistance from family and friends, especially concerning their basic needs. Although families try to do their best, sometimes caring for a loved one without professional help is tedious and time-consuming for everyone involved.
If your parents or grandparents are dealing with health problems and personal care issues, it may be time to consider hiring elderly care services. Focusing on long-term solutions will help your loved ones regain a sense of control over their lives with the aid of on-call caregivers and nurses.
In this guide, we'll talk about essential healthcare services, long-term home nursing, and elderly day care centres to help seniors cope with their old age. We'll also give you more information on where to find the best home care services for the elderly in Singapore.
Table of Contents
1. What Is Elderly Care?
Elderly care, also referred to as eldercare or aged care, refers to caregiving services offered by elderly care centres, nursing homes, and other medical organisations. When seniors become too frail to care for themselves, nursing care experts are able to provide patients with all their needs on a daily basis. This alleviates stress from families and friends who want to give their loved ones a better quality of life as they continue to age.
Besides assisting patients with simple tasks, elderly care also implies healthcare services and benefits from the government, including home therapy, respite care, and regular visits to rehabilitation centres. Elderly day care centres are also quite popular among Singaporeans who prefer to visit nursing homes for social get-togethers and events.
2. What Does Elderly Care Help With?
Elderly care allows seniors to enjoy life in a comforting environment with access to home day care services from nurses or caregivers. There are two types of activities that elderly care services can help with – but first, it's important to assess which activities your loved one is having difficulty with at home. To help identify their needs, let's talk about ADLs and IADLs and what kind of nursing procedures are crucial for each.
Activities For Daily Living (ADLs)
Seniors require basic necessities to maintain their health and well-being at home – we call these ADLs or Activities For Daily Living. Although these needs are quite simple, the failure to keep up can have unwanted consequences. To help elders maintain a healthy lifestyle at home, elderly care caters to every senior's routine needs, including:
- Eating food
- Sleeping
- Dressing up
- Bathing
- Toileting
- Grooming
- Walking
Instrumental Activities For Daily Living (IADLs)
Similar to ADLs, IADLs focus more on non-essential tasks called Instrumental Activities For Daily Living. This secondary type is needed by seniors dealing with medical conditions who may not be able to perform household chores, run errands, or take medicines. Here's a list of instrumental activities that elderly caregivers will assist seniors with at home:
- Cooking meals
- Taking medication
- Cleaning
- Outdoor errands
- Shopping
- Bill payments
- Using devices
- Exercises
Activities for daily living Vs. Instrumental activities for daily living
3. When Should Seniors Transition Into Elderly Care?
The availability of healthcare services has prolonged the lives of seniors through medication and technology, resulting in an increase in the population being made up of elderly people. This means that younger generations don't have the same capacity to care for their parents or grandparents as they get older. According to Department of Statistics Singapore, old age support ratio - ratio of the working-age population between 20-64 years old and population aged 65 years and above - stands at 4.3 in 2020, less than half of what it was in 2010, and expected to decline further.
Naturally, older folks may have some resistance towards seeking professional help from caregivers, so it's important to give them assurance from start to finish. Here are the signs that it's time to consider looking into healthcare services, community care, and home care for your loved ones.
Living Alone
Studies have pointed out that seniors who live alone are prone to accidents, isolation, depression, and neglect, especially if their families live too far away to check up on them. Whether an elderly person is widowed or unable to receive visits from members of the family, hiring a nurse for home care is the best option for a solitary senior.
Lack Of Personal Care And Hygiene
Caring for the body may be difficult for seniors who are going through physical ailments. Because of this, there may be some embarrassment involved when requesting help from family, and they may begin to forgo their personal hygiene. If a loved one can no longer keep themselves clean, home care services will ensure their sanitary needs are met at all times.
Life-Threatening Illnesses
Patients with debilitating diseases are at risk when they don't have access to on-demand nursing care services. That’s why elderly care is the perfect solution for recovery, rest, and rehabilitation. At this stage of a person's life, communicating their thoughts and emotions will help ease their suffering. Thankfully, healthcare services involve providing community care to help patients connect with like-minded individuals for inspiration and hope.
4. What Are The Benefits Of Eldercare Services?
Elderly care services are dedicated to helping persons with disabilities, health conditions, and mental illness. These services are curated for seniors to enjoy day care centres, day rehabilitation, and social services. Here are the top three benefits of hiring elderly care services for your loved ones at home.
Healthy And Comfortable Aging At Home
Nursing for home patients is particularly useful for people who need 24/7 medical care and a medical escort when visiting the hospital for appointments. The primary goal is to help the elderly lead a fulfilling life in the comfort of their homes as they gradually accept their new situation.
Independence From Family Members
Whether seniors are attending day care or receiving specialised care at home, receiving help from other people can be an eye-opening experience. According to caregivers, customers begin to grow fond of their nurses as they begin to look at them as partners rather than hired help. Every activity becomes an opportunity to adjust and learn, helping them find peace with their predicament.
Support From Communities And Day Care Programmes
Day care centres, nursing homes, and social services provide seniors with the tools they need to feel connected and accepted by a community. Seniors may join a local programme that involves creative classes, therapeutic retreats, and fun games to form relationships with people of similar circumstances.
5. What Are The Options For Elderly Living Arrangements?
Seniors may have different living preferences and the best way to approach them is with respect and compassion. While some elderly patients may be happy to join rehabilitation homes or nursing homes, others may prefer to simply stay home. What matters is finding an appropriate responsive solution that caters to all the medical services they need. Here's a shortlist of living arrangement options you can look at for your loved ones.
Staying At Home
Seniors that opt to live at home are most in need of long-term elderly care services. Although living at home is the most preferred option, adjustments must be made in order to supply elders with the necessary support and medical equipment. This allows them to receive care without giving up their personal space, belongings, and regular routines.
Living With A Relative
Elderly people that live with relatives may gradually become dependent on them, which potentially creates friction in their relationship. While living at home with family is a great option, it isn't always the most ideal set-up for most families, especially if they're too busy to care for their elders.
Assisted Living With A Community
Living in an assisted community means that residents will have accessible healthcare services and social programmes in place. This is the perfect middle ground between independence and assistance, allowing elders to adapt to their new lives without giving up their sense of freedom.
Independent Living With A Community
This living arrangement is compatible for seniors that want to live in a safe community without any medical or nursing care. However, this is only ideal if their health condition doesn’t pose any potential threats to themselves or others.
Living In A Nursing Home
Nursing homes refer to institutions that provide private living accommodations for the aged. They have all the facilities needed to provide nursing and day care services, along with easy access to health professionals in case of medical emergencies.
If you and your elderly loved one are weighing between living options, you may find our article detailing pros and cons of home care vs. nursing home useful. Ultimately, the best option depends on health care needs and personal preference of your elderly loved one.
6. How Do You Find Social Support For The Elderly?
There are several ways to get mental, emotional, physical, and social support for the elderly in Singapore. Here are some of the most reliable tips and services to help ease the financial, medical, and social burdens of your loved ones.
Financial Assistance
Government subsidies are given to seniors aged 65 and over so they can avail of healthcare services at a lower cost. For example, Silver Support Scheme provides $300 or more per quarter to aid seniors in treatment cost, healthcare services, prescription medications, therapy, and doctor’s appointments. A number of other financial support schemes and grants such as Home Caregiving Grant, PioneerDAS, Seniors’ Mobility and Enabling Fund, ElderFund are available, details of which can be found in our financial support guide for caregiver .
Healthcare Benefits
Health facilities offer guidance with a wide range of healthcare services, day care centres, and day rehabilitation programmes. Seniors that avail of healthcare services may choose to get a free consultation for medications and check-ups. Therapists are also available to offer psychological advice while several polyclinics offering physiotherapy services are open to assist seniors with their physical well-being.
Community Care Services
Community care is essential for helping seniors connect and socialise with other people in their age group. Plenty of nursing homes offer events and programmes as part of their curated healthcare services, and some day care businesses also accept seniors for day rehabilitation. Seniors aged 60 and over in Singapore can join any of the Senior Activity Centres for free.
7. Where Can You Find Elderly Care Services In Singapore?
Ninkatec specialises in short and long-term home care services for the elderly. Our team of nurses undergo extensive training and work hard to meet each client's needs in and out of the home. As a leading pioneer in the industry, Ninkatec uses the most advanced technological tools with human touch to create a customised and compassionate experience.
8. Ninkatec Care Plans For The Elderly
Ninkatec care plans cater to the overall wellness of every patient, assisting them in regaining control over their lives. Each plan offers different levels of care depending on their age, conditions, and needs. Whatever it is your elders need, our staff is fully equipped to provide round-the-clock services, assistance, and care for seniors experiencing chronic pain, immobility, and other serious health complications.
Virtual Care Plan
The Virtual Care plan offers a minimal but effective solution for elderlies that need healthcare monitoring but are still able to look after themselves. With online monitoring carried out 24 hours a day, seniors will feel looked after and more confident on their own. This plan is perfect for seniors that need affordable care services and online guidance without compromising quality.
Close Connect Care Plan
The Close Connect plan is a solution to provide intense medical attention and support for elderlies with critical conditions or undergoing post-surgery recovery. In addition to 24/7 monitoring, this home care plan is inclusive of daily clinical reviews, a dedicated hotline and chat platform for questions and virtual assistance.
Right At Home Care Plan
The Right At Home plan provides round-the-clock home medical monitoring for patients with chronic illnesses and debilitating conditions such as cancer, dementia, and more. This plan is ideal for seniors that need regular supervision as it includes a monthly check-up from a doctor. Our services are also inclusive of a 24-hour call hotline which provides access to clinicians and a chat platform for real-time assistance.
9. Give Loved Ones The Best Elderly Care Services At Home
Learning how to properly care for the elderly is never easy – but with the right home care services, seniors can thrive confidently and live their lives to the fullest. As long as you hire a trustworthy home care specialist, your loved ones will learn to appreciate having a helper on-hand.
Ninkatec provides safe, high-quality, and premium healthcare services for aging Singaporeans at a reasonable cost. To learn more about our treatment options and services, get in touch with us today and we’ll be happy to provide the best elderly care for your loved ones at home.
