Support for Mental Health Patients to Adhere to Treatments while Rehabilitating at Home
Ministry of HealthSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns Ms Joan Pereira’s inquiry regarding support for mental health patients’ treatment adherence at home and their integration into the community. Minister for Health Ong Ye Kung highlighted that post-discharge care teams, case managers, and medical social workers provide assessments, referrals, and regular monitoring via phone calls and home visits. Stable patients receive support through polyclinics, 310 general practitioners, and psychiatric day centres that offer living skills training and medication management. For employment, the Ministry facilitates training and job placements through the MINDSET Learning Hub and the Institute of Mental Health’s Job Club. These measures aim to provide a comprehensive network of clinical and social support to facilitate successful rehabilitation and long-term community reintegration.
Transcript
59 Ms Joan Pereira asked the Minister for Health with regard to patients with mental health issues and illnesses (a) how is the Ministry ensuring and helping them to adhere to their medical treatments and therapies while they are rehabilitating at home; and (b) how are these patients supported in their efforts to integrate back into the community.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: Post discharge, patients with mental health conditions are supported by post-discharge care teams to help them adhere to treatment and medication and integrate back into the community.
Prior to discharge from acute hospitals, case managers and medical social workers assess the patients’ needs and refer them to community partners for support services or financial assistance where necessary. Case managers also check in and follow up with patients and their caregivers through regular phone calls. Where necessary, home visits will be conducted.
For patients with stable mental health conditions, our polyclinics, 310 general practitioners and community intervention teams are able to provide the necessary support, such as regular check-ins, and ensure adherence to medication and follow up appointments. Patients with stable mental health conditions can also tap on psychiatric day centres, which provide day care and ongoing living skills training for those living in the community with caregivers.
Patients seeking employment can approach various community partners, including MINDSET Learning Hub by the Singapore Association for Mental Health and the Institute of Mental Health’s Job Club, which will do their best to facilitate training and job placements.