Community Health Post - Enabling seniors to better manage their health

Background: Singapore needs to prepare for a rapidly ageing population in the next one to two decades. By 2030, the number of seniors aged 65 years and above will almost double in number to comprise a quarter of Singaporeans. Diseases are on the rise due to aging population, by 2030, 1 in 7 adults aged 18 to 69 years will have diabetes, 1 in 220 residents to have a heart attack, 1 in 180 residents to be diagnosed with a cancer and 1 in 230 residents to have a stroke. One big effect of this demographic clustering will be a shift in disease patterns towards chronic diseases.

Objectives: This preventive health programme was designed to bring  services closer to seniors to promote health and wellness in the community.

Content: There are  two forms of Community Health Post targeted at seniors with existing chronic diseases and those who are at risk of developing common chronic diseases. The first form of the health post  provides one-to-one health coaching sessions based on a suite of health-related topics and are individualized to the needs of the individuals. This is conducted by the nurse educator. The second form of the health post comprises of group sessions which are conducted by a nurse educator, and supported by other professionals from the hospital. The group sessions aim to build on peer-motivation and support and to provide more disease-specific information focusing on self-management.

Methodology: A two-week curriculum is planned for the group sessions, each lasting two hours, and conducted in the format of a workshop, with more than 30 participants per session.  Health coaching topics may include: Nutrition & diet, Physical activities and falls, mental wellness, personal hygiene and chronic diseases related education talks. The group sessions are  structured in a fun and interactive manner to build interest in the  seniors  and increase their commitment  to return for all sessions and gain confidence in taking charge of their health.  

Conclusion: The evaluation of the Community Health Posts would provide more insights on the effectiveness of the programme as well as the areas of needs of the senior residents in preventive health.