Vanguard Healthcare's new Hougang facility fills care gap as IMH's long-stay patients age: Ong Ye Kung

As Singapore's long-stay mental health patients grow older and require more nursing care, a new Hougang facility by Vanguard Healthcare aims to fill a gap in the country's mental healthcare landscape.

Speaking at the official opening of the co-located facility at 5 Lorong Napiri on Monday (Oct 5), Coordinating Minister for Social Policies Ong Ye Kung said patients with mental health conditions on long-term care have become older, with the median age of long-term stayers now reaching 58 years old.

He added that 83 long-stay patients are aged 70 and above.

"For many of these patients, their conditions have stabilised, and they get agitated much less frequently, as they become more frail and cognitively weaker," said Ong, who is also Minister for Health.

These patients require more supervision, nursing care and assistance with daily living, rather than acute psychiatric care, the health minister added.

The wholly-owned subsidiary of MOH Holdings opened its Vanguard Care Home and Vanguard Compass Home (Hougang), bringing together three complementary services — nursing care, rehabilitation, and skills and confidence building — under one address.

He noted that home-like step-down residential facilities such as Sunlove and St Andrew's Nursing Home have provided patients with nursing care and support, while allowing them to participate in rehabilitation and daily activities that help them regain skills, confidence and independence.

"This experience demonstrated that mental health care cannot consist only of hospitals at one end and independent living at the other.

"We need a continuum of care, with different settings providing different levels of support as a person’s needs change," Ong said, adding that demand for the broad middle will grow as existing patients age, and conditions become more varied and complex.

A new model for long-term mental healthcare

The new facility in Hougang will allow patients to transit more easily between nursing care and rehabilitation, as their needs evolve.

Its 257-bed Vanguard Care Home will provide 24-hour nursing care for patients with chronic but stable psychiatric conditions.

"Care is tailored to residents' individual needs and abilities, with smaller-group activities, quiet spaces and familiar surroundings incorporated to create a more home-like environment," Vanguard Healthcare said in a statement.

Complementing this is the 48-bed Vanguard Compass Home, which will focus on rehabilitation and recovery for those with moderately stable mental health conditions who are working towards greater independence and reintegration into the community.

Both homes do not have an age requirement for admission.

Vanguard Healthcare chief executive officer Chan Wei Ling said the model reflects the reality that recovery is not a one-size-fits-all journey.

"Each person may need different forms of support at different stages of life," she said.

Ong echoed a similar point in his speech, noting that every individual faces different medical challenges and requires a tailored recovery plan.

"For one person, it may mean living independently in the community. For another, it may mean being able to manage more daily activities. For others, it may be to maintain some social connections.

"Whatever the outcome, we will try our best to support them. Every bit of recovery is an improvement in their quality of life and well-being," he said.

随着新加坡长期精神健康患者年龄增长，需要更多护理，先锋医疗集团在后港新建的一家设施旨在填补该国精神医疗保健领域的空白。

周一（10 月 5 日），社会政策统筹部长王乙康在位于罗弄纳皮里 5 号的联合设施正式启用仪式上发表讲话时表示，长期接受精神健康护理的患者年龄越来越大，长期住院患者的平均年龄现在已达到 58 岁。

他还补充说，83 名长期住院患者年龄在 70 岁及以上。

“对于很多这样的病人来说，他们的病情已经稳定下来，随着身体越来越虚弱、认知能力越来越弱，他们的烦躁不安的症状也大大减少了，”同时也是卫生部长的王乙康说。

卫生部长补充说，这些患者需要更多的监督、护理和日常生活帮助，而不是急性精神病治疗。

卫生部控股公司的全资子公司开设了 Vanguard Care Home 和 Vanguard Compass Home（后港），将护理、康复、技能和自信心培养这三项互补服务集中于同一地点。

他指出，像 Sunlove 和 St Andrew's Nursing Home 这样的家庭式过渡性居住设施，为患者提供护理和支持，同时让他们参与康复和日常活动，帮助他们恢复技能、信心和独立性。

“这次经历表明，精神健康护理不能仅仅局限于一端的医院和另一端的独立生活。

Ong表示：“我们需要一个连续的护理体系，不同的机构可以根据个人需求的变化提供不同程度的支持。”他还补充说，随着现有患者年龄增长，病情变得更加多样化和复杂，对中间层级广泛护理的需求将会增长。

一种新的长期心理健康护理模式

后港的新设施将使患者能够随着需求的改变，更轻松地在护理和康复之间转换。

其拥有 257 个床位的 Vanguard 护理院将为患有慢性但稳定的精神疾病的患者提供 24 小时护理服务。

Vanguard Healthcare 在一份声明中表示：“我们根据居民的个人需求和能力量身定制护理服务，融入小团体活动、安静空间和熟悉的环境，以营造更像家一样的环境。”

与此相辅相成的是拥有 48 个床位的 Vanguard Compass Home，它将专注于为那些精神健康状况较为稳定、正在努力实现更大程度的独立和重新融入社区的人们提供康复治疗。

这两家养老院都没有入住年龄限制。

Vanguard Healthcare 首席执行官 Chan Wei Ling 表示，该模式反映了康复并非千篇一律的现实。

“每个人在人生的不同阶段可能需要不同形式的支持，”她说。

Ong 在演讲中也表达了类似的观点，他指出，每个人面临的医疗挑战都不同，需要量身定制的康复计划。

对一些人来说，这可能意味着在社区独立生活；对另一些人来说，这可能意味着能够处理更多日常活动；对还有一些人来说，这可能意味着维持一些社交关系。

“无论结果如何，我们都会尽全力支持他们。每一次康复都是对他们生活质量和福祉的改善，”他说。