General

Welcome to Salem Welfare Services Singapore! Our goal of elderly care is undertaken by the Daycare & Rehabilitation Centre – established in 1997 to provide low cost care and community-based Rehabilitation.

We provide elderly care and rehabilitation for all eligible members of the community through a fully committed and trained team of staff. Our services include physiotherapy, exercise, socio-recreational activities, nursing care and day care facilities.

We also provide counseling and training for family members so that they too can care for the elderly in their own homes.

In the busy climate of Singapore, many elderly folk are left lonely and some do not even have family or caregivers to take care of them in their homes. SWS aims to provide care for these folk where possible, without substituting the role of their own families. With God’s continued blessings and the strong support and love from friends, families and donors for this centre, we hope to be able to expand our services and do more for the community in the near future!

Vision & Mission

The Mission Statement of Salem Welfare Services is:

Since inception in 1997, Salem Welfare Services has constantly strove to remain true to the Vision and Mission of the organisation. The leadership and staff are guided by the vision, mission, philosophy and very commitment have always been rendered as the under girding base rudiment that must be maintained. However, it is important to add that these Vision and Mission statements are not doctrinal truths: they are the principled; ethical bases.

PROVIDE rehabilitative and support day care services to the aged and frail aged irrespective of race or religion.
RECRUIT a team of volunteers as well as salaried staff who are committed to providing high standards of service and care to our service users.
CREATE a centre that is well designed- with a therapy room complete with rehabilitative equipment.
MANAGE a centre that is very well furnished, spacious and comfortable
FACILITATE communal interaction and recreation, and also provide a conducive environment for recovery.
NURTURE a sequential and progressively comprehensive meal and dietary programme according to dietary needs of service users
ENGAGE the interest of users with a wide variety of activities such as therapeutic games, hobby crafts as well as trips and outings.

Facilities & Services

Counseling

Counseling is available for elderly SWS client users and their families. The pastor and the pastoral care team of Salem Chapel supervise and provide this service. At the Salem Day Rehab Centre, we focus on the total well being of the elderly, looking into their physical, social and emotional needs. Sessions are conducted by pastoral staff who each have different expertise in dealing with the needs of the elderly.

Chapel Services

Chapel Services are held at the Daycare and Rehabilitation Centre for the elderly fortnightly. Attendance is optional. The Chapel services are conducted exclusively by the Pastoral team. Although attendance is optional, it is with great joy that SWS reports that many folks at the Centre enjoy these services immensely.

Elderly users participate actively in the sessions-held fortnightly on Wednesdays. Services are conducted in Hokkien and Mandarin languages. The popularity of these services is probably due to the singing of Hokkien songs. The music is creatively re-composed, re-arranged and performed by the pastoral team. The lyrical improvisations make for great relaxation.

The Pastor and the Pastoral care team of Salem Chapel conduct and supervise these services, believing that the gatherings engender hope and faith in the elderly.

Interaction

Interaction with the Elderly is important as it means actively engaging and caring for them. Family members need to be aware of the need to communicate and actively interact with their elderly relatives or parents when caring for them at home.

Interaction comprises of:

1 – Communication – Understanding the individual and his/her needs
2 – Care & Concern – Sharing of burdens and problems
3 – Actions:  that demonstrate the above

At SWS, Pastoral Care is given to help family members of elderly folks better understand the three elements of “Interaction”. Our aim is not to substitute the role of the family, rather to advise them. Our Pastors and counsellors are willing to teach and guide anyone who needs help in interacting with their elderly parents or relatives. Medical advice is also available on how to best provide care for the elderly at home.

Day Care

At SWS, we provide Diet and Medication Intake Management as part of our Daycare programme. A large proportion of our elderly clients are dependent on others for their intake of medication.

Our staff keep a careful watch with close supervision and guidance on their daily intake of medication and prescriptions. Every member of the SWS staff is equipped with the knowledge of basic dietary nutritional facts. They educate the elderly on dietary requirements and healthy food choices.

Some of our elderly clients have complicated medical history. That is why it is important that SWS staff members personally speak and discuss with the elderly clients individually about their specific dietary needs and restrictions to ensure they consume a balanced diet of proteins, vitamins and minerals. At SWS, we take pride in having our staff seek to understand each client’s health and dietary status personally.

It is through this vital connection between the staff and the elderly users that SWS maintains high levels of dietary care and medication intake management. Staff are trained to understand clinical instructions. Hence they are able to assist the elderly with their consumption of medication. Cooked food provided at the Centre is hygienic, and prepared with care.

SWS understands the importance of providing healthy, balanced and nutritional meals for clients that are free of cholesterol. Occasionally, trips to local restaurants and food centres are given as treats. The hearty meal together encourages bonding.

Day Care Activities

Who says being elderly means you have to be incapacitated? Who says being elderly means you have to sit around bored all day? Well, if you agree that the answers to both questions is a big ‘NO’, that’s where activities come in. Daycare Activities at SWS is all about working on the premise that no matter how old or frail a person is, with the exception of medically inhibited cases, a person can still perform and get involved in activities and have fun filled experiences to stay active.

Socio-recreational activities promote mental and spiritual well-being of service users and at SWS, our elderly clients enjoy and are kept engaged in many Daycare activities.

One of the areas of activities is: Interactive therapeutic games. At SWS, the focus is not on the activity itself, but more so on fostering the willing participation and active enthusiasm of each elderly client.

Engaging the interests of the elderly as they tend to lose interest easily and have shortened attention spans.

At SWS, staff and volunteers are determined to reinvigorate the elderly by actively engaging them in mental and physical activities to rejuvenate.

There are also ‘Sing-a-long’ sessions, opportunities for Hobby-crafts (e.g. art) and special interests that are made available weekly, as they also constitute mental activities. The hobby crafts range from paper crafts or basic ‘origami’ to reaction games like ‘Bingo’.

SWS is pleased to report that so far, there has been good news in that the elderly have shown positive responses and encouraging signs and reinvigorated enthusiasm for all such activity.

“You’re only as young as you want to be” and the elderly need us to provide them with this belief!

Physio Services

The Centre employs a full time Physiotherapist as well as Therapy Aides to provide physiotherapy services to all our service-users.

Its well designed therapy room, complete with a comprehensive array of rehabilitative equipment and a well furnished, spacious and comfortable multi-purpose hall in order to provide a conducive environment for recovery and communal interaction.

SWS’ physiotherapist guides patients patiently

What is Physiotherapy?

Physiotherapy involves the treatment of physical injury, disease and dysfunction through physical agents such as heat, light, sound, electricity and exercises. Physiotherapy thus is an essential part of the recovery process following bone or soft tissue injuries, debilitating illness and surgery. Many long term complications can be mitigated or alleviated by appropriate treatments administered.

What is a Physiotherapist’s role?

Physiotherapists like the one engaged by SWS at our Centre provide the therapeutic treatment for clients based on their medical assessment (reports/history).

A physiotherapist focuses mainly on resolving any immediate pains, and works to stabilise an injury or condition. Physiotherapists then proceed to mitigate and prevent injuries from getting worse, not unlike medical practitioners. The core element of a physiotherapists’ role is that of the final step: restoration work to rebuild strength; and movement and function in the person as much as possible. Early intervention prevents a condition from being chronic, keeps muscle and other soft tissue structures from weakening through disuse, speeds healing and increases the chances of recovery.

Monitoring of Blood Pressure and Weight

Monitoring of blood pressure is carried out weekly. Frequent and close surveillance of the blood pressure is maintained for the elderly who are hypertensive. The staff are also in contact with the referring doctor. Monitoring of the weight of obese elderly folks is also carried out routinely, particularly the diabetic obese, to prevent them from becoming grossly overweight. The staff also impart healthy eating habits to the elderly.