Patients with severe and moderate head injury have problems perculier to itself, best served by a foundation with its interests primarily at heart. With no overlap of services presently available in Singapore, the SBSIF will directly contribute to the welfare of this large group of patients.
The family is invariably involved in the face of brain and spine injury. The SBSIF believes that a strong commitment of the family at every level is or paramount importance for the patient to overcome the physical, social and psychological hurdles ahead. Potential for recovery is best realised in a patient with a strong family support.
There is little doubt that Singapore has a world class health care and social support system. Equally, we are convinced that the general criteria for support of TBI patients can at times be broad, resulting in some 'falling' through cracks in the system, so to speak. Moreover, in an acute crisis, when the family suddenly finds itself in need; 'general funding' programmes, insurance payouts and workman compensations can take a relatively long time to come about. It is in this acute period, followed by the immediate crucial rehabilitation period that the SBSIF aims to give bridging funding and aid to families in crisis.
We therefore aim to provide interim grants to ease the burden on the patient and his family, and to provide the best opportunities for the patient to recover.
The SBSIF realises that each restructured hospital has its own endownment fund to look into these cracks. We will therefore work with the hospital medical social workers, screen through applicants with our own social criteria to ensure that public funds are well utilised and dispursed.
The SBSIF aims to provide:
1. Direct Services a. Patient & Family Support Programme - patient and family support - psychological and moral support - education throught the head injury process - training of the family to care for the patient on discharge - referral service; for professional counseling, to nursing homes etc b. Drop-in Resource Center - To be implemented after the third year, the drop-in resource center is meant to be a ‘second home’ and support center for patients and family members. It is aimed at helping patients with a moderate outcome in head injury re-integrate into society. Upgrading of skills, teaching of new skills and job placement are the goals as these patients will find difficulty in looking for new jobs, being incapable of returning to their previous occupations. c. Home-care respite programme - To be implemented after the third year, volunteer workers will be trained and mobilized to provide respite care to families looking after patients who are bed-bound 2. Public education & Primary Prevention The only cure for head injury is prevention. Often, far too little is said about the devastating effects of neurological morbidity, which is often in excess of that faced by a family in the event of death. Education of the public is of paramount importance and will be effected through:
- public education seminars - campaigns
- resource center - educational material and pamphlets 3. Family Crisis Funding The aim of this programme is to provide needy families with grants to buffer them through an acute crisis. This includes those awaiting long term financial help (e.g., insurance payout, workman’s compensation or government funding). Grants will be given up to a period of 3 to 6 months. Priority will be given to ‘young’ families, as the children are often of school-going age. The unaffected parent often has difficulty coping with medical bills, ‘single-parenting’, emotional and psychological demands in addition to the responsibility of looking after his or her spouse.