NURSING HOMES FROM PRIVATE AND GOVERNMENT SECTORS

NURSING HOMES FROM PRIVATE AND GOVERNMENT SECTORS

**

(Review of guidelines and standards): **

39.

Dr Fatimah Lateef asked the Minister for Health whether there are plans to review the guidelines and standards of nursing homes from both the private and government sectors including areas such as employment of staff with different skills grade, patient to staff ratio and training requirements such as training in dementia care, in order to come up with a set of criteria which can be applied to all nursing homes.

Mr Khaw Boon Wan: Nursing homes are regulated under the Private Hospitals and Medical Clinics Act. The Act stipulates the minimum standards required of these nursing homes. These include the minimum qualifications of staff and the staff to patient ratios.

For instance, we require all nursing homes to be supervised by registered nurses at all times. While a resident doctor is not a requirement, nursing homes must ensure that its patients receive prompt and appropriate medical care when needed.

We also specify the minimum staff to patient ratios, based on the nursing care needs of the patients. This may be one care staff to eight patients for those with lower care needs or one care staff to two patients for those with greater needs.

All nurses are regulated by the Singapore Nursing Board and they are encouraged to participate in continuing education to maintain and upgrade their professional

Column: 843

competencies. Besides meeting the minimum staff to patient ratio, nursing homes must also ensure that their care staff have the necessary skills and knowledge to serve the types of patients admitted.

Our key considerations are patient safety and quality of nursing care. The objective is to allow nursing homes to provide optimal care in a cost-effective manner.

We will continue to review all regulations and guidelines to ensure that they remain relevant.

Column: 843