Nursing home taking steps to raise care standards

Nursing home taking steps to raise care standards

We share Ms Lim Lih Mei's view that medication safety is an important pillar of nursing home care quality ("Stringent checks needed on medication and dosage"; last Tuesday).

At St Joseph's Home (SJH), one of three nursing homes run by the Catholic Welfare Services, we actively ensure that our quality of care is consistent with the stringent Ministry of Health's (MOH) Enhanced Nursing Home Standards.

As part of the nursing home community, we are partnering the Agency for Integrated Care and MOH on their new initiatives to enhance care standards in Singapore.

For example, at SJH:

Only registered medical practitioners may prescribe residents' medication.

Any medical reconciliation can be done only by such a practitioner and registered pharmacist.

We were among the first nursing homes in Singapore to engage the services of registered pharmacists for regular medication reviews for our residents.

We are one of 18 nursing homes that have adopted pre-packed, ready-to-administer medications for patients for greater safety and reliability.

Our care staff attend regular annual training on appropriate medication use and care.

SJH looks forward to continued collaboration with all healthcare agencies, families and other stakeholders to deliver high-quality and person-centred care to our residents, regardless of race or creed.

Thomas Tan

Chairman

Catholic Welfare Services Singapore


This article was first published on October 12, 2015.
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