​A LION dance, song-and-dance performances by nurses and residents and a short video on the journey of Pearl’s Hill Care Home (PHCH) so far… these were part of the official opening event for the first nursing home set up and operated by Vanguard Healthcare on September 28.

Graced by Minister for Health Gan Kim Yong, MP for Jalan Besar GRC Lily Neo and many grassroots workers from the Chinatown area which is served by PHCH, the event also included a tour of the nursing home which showcased five innovative collaborations for the eldercare sector between PHCH and Ngee Ann Polytechnic: Fall prevention toilet and bed sensors, a modular wheelchair storage system, a resident-tracking system and a virtual rehabilitation workstation. The final touch, before the tea reception, was Minister Gan signing to complete a colourful mural depicting Chinatown.

The event was also attended by PS Chan Heng Kee, DS(D) Teoh Zsin Woon and Vanguard Healthcare board members Goh Aik Guan and Tan Kwang Cheak.

PHCH, a 130-bed nursing home, focuses on rehabilitation with the aim to prepare and enable seniors to be independent again, and eventually return home. Since the home started its operations in January this year, about 18 residents have successfully gone through rehabilitation and returned to their homes, with more scheduled to be discharged later in the year.

In his speech, Minister Gan announced that in addition to PHCH, Vanguard Healthcare will operate a small number of nursing homes, with the upcoming one in Woodlands, as part of the Ministry of Health’s efforts to increase capacity, enhance quality and increase affordability of aged care to meet the needs of our ageing population.

This also allows the Health Ministry to better appreciate the challenges and considerations of nursing home operators.

These homes will also act as platforms where innovations and new care models can be tested, allowing MOH to better understand operational issues on the ground. For example, if the ongoing projects between PHCH and Ngee Ann Polytechnic are successful, they will be shared with the rest of the eldercare sector so that more seniors can benefit.