A Step-by-Step Guide on How You Can Get Geriatric Care and Medicine in Singapore
Step 1: Understand the Geriatric Services Offered
Geriatric care is a specialized form of medical care that focuses on the unique health needs of older adults. It addresses physical, mental, emotional, and social aspects of aging through comprehensive assessments, medication reviews, and chronic disease management. Geriatricians are specially trained to treat complex age-related health conditions and help seniors maintain independence and quality of life.
Common Geriatric Services in Singapore: In Singapore, various hospitals and medical centers offer specialized services for seniors. Some common geriatric services include:
Memory Clinic: For seniors with memory issues or early signs of dementia.
Falls Clinic: Designed to help those who have a history of falls or balance issues, providing assessment and preventive strategies.
Continence Clinic: Focused on managing urinary incontinence, offering solutions like bladder retraining or continence aids.
Stroke Rehabilitation Clinic: For seniors recovering from strokes, helping them regain mobility and manage vascular risk factors.
Home-Based vs. Institutional Care: Geriatric care is offered in both home-based and institutional settings. Home-based services, like community-based programs and home nursing, allow seniors to receive care in the comfort of their own homes. Institutional care includes hospital-based geriatric wards, nursing homes, or rehabilitation centers, which offer more intensive care for seniors with complex medical needs.
Home-Based vs. Institutional Geriatric Care
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Home-Based Care | Seniors receive care at home through doctor visits, nurse support, or allied health services. This option is ideal for those with mobility issues or who prefer comfort and familiarity. |
| Institutional Care | Offered in hospitals, nursing homes, and rehab centres. Suitable for those who need intensive support, rehabilitation, or medical monitoring. |
Step 2: Identify Your or Your Loved One’s Geriatric Care Needs
Recognising when it’s time to seek geriatric care can be challenging—especially if you're unsure what signs to look for. Whether you're an adult child, caregiver, or senior yourself, asking the right questions is the first step to getting appropriate support.
Here’s a simple checklist to help assess if geriatric care may be necessary:
Are they falling often or having trouble with balance?
Frequent falls or unsteady movement could indicate the need for a falls assessment or rehabilitation.Do they show signs of memory loss or confusion?
Forgetfulness, disorientation, or repeated questions could point to early cognitive decline or dementia—conditions best managed through proper geriatric care.Are daily tasks becoming difficult?
Struggles with dressing, bathing, eating, or mobility might suggest it’s time to involve a geriatrician who can coordinate support services and therapies.Have they been hospitalized for chronic conditions like heart disease or diabetes?
Seniors with recurring admissions or multiple diagnoses often benefit from geriatric care that focuses on managing complex, long-term health issues.
Understanding these signs can help you decide when to move beyond general GP care and seek more specialized, holistic geriatric care—whether that’s at home or in a clinic. If you’re unsure where to begin, learning how to find a geriatrician can make the process easier and ensure your loved one receives the right level of care.
Step 3: Explore Healthcare Schemes and Subsidies Available for Geriatric Care
In Singapore, accessing geriatric care doesn’t have to be financially overwhelming. There are several national schemes designed to ease the cost burden for seniors and their families.
CHAS (Community Health Assist Scheme): CHAS is a government initiative that provides healthcare subsidies to Singaporeans. Seniors can use CHAS to receive subsidies for chronic diseases or acute care in community settings like clinics. This helps to reduce out-of-pocket expenses for low- and middle-income seniors. CHAS also assists to provide essential vaccinations at no additional cost to patients.
Medisave and Medishield Life: Medisave is a compulsory savings plan that allows Singaporeans to set aside part of their income for future healthcare needs. Seniors are given a yearly allowance from Medisave funds for outpatient treatment of chronic disease management, this includes geriatric services. MediShield Life is a national health insurance plan that covers large hospital bills and expensive treatments, ensuring that seniors are protected financially when accessing hospital-based geriatric care.
Pioneer and Merdeka Generation Packages: These packages provide additional healthcare benefits for older Singaporeans. Seniors under the Pioneer and Merdeka Generation Packages receive enhanced subsidies for outpatient care, including geriatric services. These subsidies help reduce the cost of managing chronic diseases and accessing specialist care.
CareShield Life: CareShield Life provides financial support for seniors who become severely disabled and need long-term care. It offers payouts to help cover the cost of caregiving, rehabilitation, and other long-term care services.
Step 4: Access Geriatric Services Through Public and Private Providers
Start with Your General Practitioner (GP): A GP can serve as the first point of contact in identifying geriatric care needs. They can refer seniors with more complex needs to a geriatrician for more comprehensive care. Regular checkups with a GP can also help monitor chronic conditions and prevent complications, which is especially important as seniors age.
Specialized Clinics and Hospitals: Singapore has several hospitals with dedicated geriatric centers. For example, Changi General Hospital (CGH) and Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH) have specialized geriatric departments that offer tailored services. Seniors or their families can contact these hospitals to schedule appointments for consultations, rehabilitation, or memory and falls assessments.
Community-Based Services: Beyond hospitals, Singapore offers community-based geriatric services. These include community nurses, eldercare centers, and outreach programs that provide geriatric care at home or in community settings. These services are ideal for seniors who have limited mobility or prefer receiving care in a familiar environment.
By tapping into these schemes, families can plan better and ensure that quality geriatric care remains accessible, sustainable, and tailored to their loved ones’ evolving health needs.
Step 5: Get Informed Through Local Resources
Understanding geriatric care isn’t always straightforward, especially for families navigating it for the first time. Thankfully, there are reliable resources in Singapore that can guide you toward the right decisions and support services.
MOH Eldercare Services Locator: The Ministry of Health (MOH) provides an online tool to help families find nearby eldercare services including clinics, day centres, and home care options. It’s a good starting point if you’re unsure where to begin.
Agency for Integrated Care (AIC): AIC supports caregivers and families by connecting them to subsidised eldercare services. They also manage schemes like the Home Caregiving Grant and offer free advice on funding and care arrangements. Their Care Consultants are available for in-person or phone consultations.
Official Hospital Websites: Public hospitals with geriatric medicine departments, such as TTSH, SGH, and CGH, often publish detailed guides on their websites. These explain the services they offer, when to consult a geriatrician, and how to make an appointment.
Alami Clinic Support: If you’re feeling overwhelmed, you can also reach out to our team at Alami Clinic. We’re happy to help you understand the steps, answer your questions, and guide you to the right form of geriatric care whether that’s through us or another trusted provider.
Benefits of Seeking Geriatric Care Early
Improved Quality of Life
Timely access to geriatric care can greatly enhance the overall quality of life for seniors. By addressing their unique medical needs early on, geriatric care helps older adults maintain independence and dignity as they age. Specialized services like mobility assistance, cognitive assessments, and chronic disease management allow seniors to stay active and engage in daily activities with minimal discomfort or dependence on others. Whether it's managing medications or getting help with memory issues, geriatric care focuses on optimizing seniors’ physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Seniors receiving this care experience better health outcomes and a more fulfilling lifestyle.
Prevention and Early Intervention
One of the key advantages of geriatric care is its focus on prevention and early intervention. Many age-related health issues such as falls, malnutrition, and cognitive decline can be mitigated if detected early. Geriatric specialists conduct thorough assessments to identify risk factors for these conditions and provide personalized interventions. For example, a senior who is prone to falls can benefit from a falls clinic where balance training, strength-building exercises, and home safety modifications are recommended. Similarly, early intervention for dementia or Alzheimer’s disease can slow cognitive decline, helping seniors maintain mental sharpness for a longer time. Proactive care helps prevent hospitalizations and more serious health issues later on.
Reduced Caregiver Stress
Caring for aging loved ones can be overwhelming, especially when caregivers are left to manage complex health issues without professional support. Geriatric care reduces this burden by providing expert guidance and support to both seniors and their caregivers. Caregivers can benefit from the peace of mind that comes with knowing their loved one is receiving the right medical attention, rehabilitation services, and emotional support. Many geriatric services also include caregiver education, offering strategies for managing difficult behaviors, such as those related to dementia, or techniques for assisting with daily living activities. This not only improves the senior's care but also reduces stress and burnout among caregivers, making it easier for them to balance caregiving with their own lives.
By accessing geriatric care early, seniors can enjoy a higher quality of life, and caregivers can receive the necessary support, ensuring that everyone involved benefits from a holistic approach to aging.