title: Discharge planning in a community hospital--a multidisciplinary approach.
abstract: The population of Singapore is ageing rapidly. Acute hospitals in Singapore are also experiencing an acute bed shortage. However, many elderly admitted to acute hospitals require a longer period of convalescence before they are able to go home. Community hospitals are most suitable to provide such care for the elderly patient. Patients could be discharged to the community hospitals to continue rehabilitation and convalescence. In addition this would also free the beds in the acute hospitals. However, there is a risk that without adequate discharge planning, the community hospitals would in turn also reach full capacity and no longer be able to accept patients. A discharge planning programme has been set up in a community hospital to address the following needs: 1) caring for a rapidly ageing population with increasing degrees of disability; 2) the shortage of beds in the acute hospitals; (3) the provision of holistic care and care-giver education, and 4) to prevent long term institutionalisation of the elderly as much as possible.
authors.affiliation: St Luke's Hospital for the Elderly Ltd, Singapore.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.forename: B L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Sng
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Long
authors.forename: L K
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Loh
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Liew
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Aw
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006764:Hospitals, Community / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010348:Patient Care Team; D010351:Patient Discharge; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D012846:Singapore; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires