Geriatric Medicine

Geriatric Medicine is a medical specialty that focuses on providing care for older adults with complex medical, physical or psychosocial problems, particularly the older frail persons. Holistic care is coordinated and delivered through a multidisciplinary team comprising geriatricians, nurses, physio- and occupational therapists, speech therapists, dietitians and medical social workers. We work closely with community and primary care partners to address the unique needs of our older patients. Care is also delivered across the continuum from the inpatient to outpatient settings.

Inpatient Service

Geriatric inpatient services for hospitalized older adults in Sengkang General Hospital include the following:

Geriatric Assessment and INtervention (GAIN) unit is a specialty unit designed to deliver intensive geriatric and nursing care for hospitalized elderly patients with complex delirium or behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia. The multidisciplinary team of geriatricians, nurses and allied health members will work with the patient and caregiver in the management of the acute illness, rehabilitation, and post-discharge care plans.

The Orthogeriatric Service looks after older patients with fragility hip fractures. The geriatrician works closely with the Orthopedic surgeons, anesthetists, allied health members and nurses to optimise patients with hip fractures for surgery and provide care during the perioperative period. We also advise family on discharge planning and osteoporosis management.   

The Geriatric Perioperative Service (GPS) aims to optimise perioperative care for at-risk older adults who are being prepared for surgery. Older adults, especially those with underlying cognitive impairment, are more susceptible to perioperative delirium. Prevention measures and early detection of perioperative delirium can help to reduce complications and improve outcomes.

Geriatric Resources for Assessment and Care of hospitalized Elderly (GRACE) is a mobile nurse-led initiative to support general wards in the care of older adults with behaviour disturbance due to delirium and/or dementia, as well as falls. Patients will be reviewed daily by the geriatric specialty nurse and geriatrician to monitor their recovery progress.

We also review inpatient referrals for geriatric syndromes which include delirium, dementia, falls, immobility, incontinence and functional decline.

Geriatric Medicine Clinics

Department of Geriatric Medicine runs 3 different specialty clinics which include the Geriatric Assessment Clinic, Memory Clinic and Falls Clinic.

Geriatric Assessment Clinic

The Geriatric Assessment Clinic provides care for frail older adults with complex medical problems such as progressive decline in functional ability affecting self-care, mobility limitations, poor oral intake, and incontinence. Patients will receive comprehensive medical and functional evaluation, with an individualized care plan to address unique needs that have been identified. The team will coordinate the delivery of comprehensive care for older adults and their caregivers challenged with multiple geriatric syndromes, and facilitate the link-up with appropriate community services.

Memory Clinic

The sub-specialty Memory Clinic provides assessment and management for patients experiencing symptoms of cognitive decline. The patient will be attended to by our cognition nurse, along with a geriatrician with sub-specialty in cognitive disorders or psychogeriatrician, for a comprehensive assessment which will include an interview with the patient’s caregiver. The patient may be referred to our neuropsychologist for more extensive cognitive tests if indicated. The multidisciplinary team will work closely with the family to equip caregivers with the knowledge and skills for looking after a person with dementia, and assist to link the patient with appropriate community services. Mindfully Me is a group-based programme focusing on cognitive stimulation for patients with mild-to-moderate dementia. 

Falls Clinic

The sub-specialty Falls Clinic caters to older adults with a history of frequent falls, or have problems with balance and stability. The patient will be assessed and managed by a multidisciplinary team of geriatric nurses, geriatricians with sub-specialty in falls and balance disorders, physiotherapists and occupational therapists. The assessment will seek to identify factors contributing to the patient’s fall risk, which will be managed to reduce future falls. Our therapists will work with patients to help them regain strength, mobility and balance, including training in the use of appropriate walking aids. The Fall Exercise Group allows participants to grow stronger and steadier together with the aim to prevent falls. It also includes an educational session on tips on fall prevention.

Peri-Operative Geriatric Assessment

We provide peri-operative assessment to optimize the frail older adult’s medical and functional status prior to elective surgery. Patients may be referred to our clinic by their managing surgeons.