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One of the primary objectives of forming the Methodist Co-operative Society was to address the problem of rising health care cost in Singapore. Therefore, we are mobilising the medical resources of the Methodist community in Singapore to provide cost-effective medical health care to the employees of Methodist Churches, agencies and institutions, and the Christian community at large. Hence, a panel of doctors was formed in October 2000 to provide professional medical services to pastors, ministry staff of churches and institutions with agreed fees of consultation and medication.
The medical division of the Methodist Co-operative Society has formed a Home Medical Care Unit to provide and affordable medical service to the homebound elderly for follow up of chronic illnesses, to identify potential correctable causes of morbidity e.g., dehydration, constipation, anaemia, incontinence, to support the family and relatives through medical advice, and to co-ordinate other services needed for care such as nursing, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy , home care services.
The Need for Home Medical Care
In caring for the elderly sick, the movement is towards home care rather than institutional care. One of the main problems in such care is the provision of medical support and care. The cost of house calls is high and hence prohibitive with the doctors being called in only for emergency and acute care.
The elderly sick that are housebound are therefore deprived of much needed medical supervision of their chronic illnesses which can help to improve their quality of life and to prevent further complications.
Home Medical Care is medical care given to homebound patients in their own homes to promote their general health and functional status.
Who Can Benefit from Home Medical Care?
- patients who are unable to leave the home or can do so only with great difficulty because of their physical and or mental disabilities
- they may have multiple medical problems but are clinically stable
- they have good family support and/or have access to support services such as home nursing, home help and meal delivery, etc
- maintenance care - to monitor chronic but stable medical conditions such as hypertension and diabetes so as to detect early any change in their medical and functional status
- post-hospitalisation convalescent care - to provide medical supervision of patients recently discharged from hospital to prevent clinical deterioration and disease complications
The Methodist Co-operative Society Ltd is working with a team of doctors and nurses who have extensive experiences in managing the problems of the elderly.
Advantages of Home Medical Care
Patients can enjoy:
- personalised and individualised care
- comfort of own home
- greater sense of privacy, safety and control of environment
- "high touch" care as the doctor will have a better understanding of the social environment
- greater involvement of family members
How Much Will The Service Cost?
The fee for each visit is $120 for doctor and $90 per visit for nurse. This is exclusive of the medications. Co-op members will be charged $100 and $75 respectively. The frequency of visits for patients with stable medical conditions is generally every 2 to 3 months.
What Is the Difference between House Calls and Home Medical Care?
House calls are made in response to acute illnesses in housebound patients. The focus is on the diagnosis and treatment of the acute medical conditions.
House calls are usually requested by the patient or the family in response to an acute medical illness. The doctor then has to decide whether the patient needs to go to hospital for further treatment.
Home Medical Care on the other hand are regular planned visits by the doctor to fulfill the objectives stated above.
One of the important objectives of Home Medical Care is to help the patient and family to cope with the chronic medical conditions and to make effective use of the community and medical resources so that the patient can be cared for at home.
The focus is not on the disease but on the functional status and quality of life of the patient so as to reduce unnecessary hospitalisation or admission to a nursing home.
Referrals for the service can be made through the Methodist Co-operative Society Ltd to:
The Administrator
Office Tel: 67671635 (Mon-Fri 9.00am - 6.00pm)