The Way We Care
Philosophy of Care
There are four tenets in our care philosophy –improving the quality of life; person-centred care; a holistic approach; and being mission-driven and guided by our core values.
In more recent times, we have been able to embrace and demonstrate the tenets of our care in specific domains of eldercare.
Dementia – Model of Care (“Butterfly Approach”)
We adopted the Butterfly Approach model of care for persons with dementia at the beginning of 2024, partnering with Meaningful Care Matters. Staff and caregivers were trained and exposed to a proactive approach to care which includes curating a familiar environment and lifestyle features unique to the person with dementia. This enables individuals, even in their cognitive state, to experience freedom of expression, independence and choice—thereby enhancing their quality of life with significantly reduced mood swings.
Since then, SASCO has made strong and measurable progress in transforming dementia care services. Three of SASCO’s dementia day care services were accredited with the “Butterfly Approach Model of Care”, achieving “Outstanding” and “Excellent” achievement outcomes in April 2025.
Standardised quality-of-life measures, including DEMQOL and QUALID, indicated an enhanced quality of life for clients receiving care under the new model. These results provide evidence that service improvement efforts were translated into meaningful benefits for persons living with dementia and their caregivers.
The programme also received external validation when it was awarded Finalist at the Ageing Asia Awards, underscoring the quality, innovation, and regional relevance of the care model.
Overall, the programme reflects the person-centred care tenet of our philosophy of care at its core. It is also holistic in its indirect outcomes, influencing shifts in staff mindsets as well as those of next-of-kin and caregivers. This marks a successful organisation-wide transition towards a person-centred and holistic approach, embodying the pursuit of improving quality of life through being mission-driven and guided by our core values.
Building on this momentum, SASCO has begun scaling this dementia care model to additional sites, starting with the introduction of Dementia Day Care (DDC) services at SASCO@JurongWest. With this expansion, all four Senior Care Centres (SCCs) will be accredited with this model of care. This will further ensure greater consistency in dementia-informed practices across services, strengthen organisational dementia capability, and extend access to high-quality, person-centred care to a broader group of clients and caregivers.
In working with peer organisations and community partners, we also made deliberate efforts to share our knowledge and best practices. The novel approach of this care model has generated growing interest, resulting in increasing requests for knowledge-sharing and showcasing of achieved outcomes.
Going forward, including our appointments as Integrated Community Care Providers (ICCPs) in two sub-regions, continuous staff training will remain a priority. Complementary to dementia care is the Virtual Reality project, which uses immersive experiences as therapy. The use of Virtual Reality Recreation Therapy (VRRT) will greatly complement the Butterfly Approach and enable more positive and sustained outcomes. Accordingly, staff will also be trained in VR facilitation.
One of the main roles and scope of ICCPs is health checks or assessments. Under the ICCP framework, we can incorporate screening for mild cognitive impairment and early onset of dementia, as well as develop structured care pathways for persons.
Integrated Community Care Provider (ICCP)
The ICCP initiative was launched in April 2025 to strengthen community-based care and support ageing in place.
Through a consortium-based approach, four baseline services—Active Ageing Centres (AACs), Senior Care Centres (SCCs), Home Therapy (HT) providers, and Home Personal Care Plus (HPC+) providers—are brought together. ICCP leverages community partnerships to deliver timely and coordinated care journeys for seniors across services and settings.
Ultimately, the ICCP approach aims to reduce hospital admissions, enhance safety at home, and improve seniors’ quality of life. For seniors, this translates into a more seamless and integrated care journey.
ICCP at Sengkang Seletar 3 and Bedok 4
SASCO Home was first awarded the ICCP for Seletar–Sengkang Subregion 3 (SR3) on 26 March 2025. Subsequently, on 6 November 2025, we were awarded the ICCP for Bedok Subregion 4—a relatively clean-slate region without existing service providers.
Following the SR3 appointment, we engaged the four baseline service providers: SASCO@Compassvale AAC (Administrative POC), Precious AAC (Compassvale Ancilla), BCARE AAC @ Compassvale, Fu Hui Senior Care Centre (SCC), and Home Nursing Foundation (for Home Personal Care Plus, HPC+).
Since Phase 1 commenced in April 2025, the consortium has established partnerships and implemented joint programmes focused on supporting seniors to age in place. These include:
- Development of a heat map for SR3 to identify concentrations of seniors, enabling prioritisation of zones for on-site outreach, home-based care, or mobile services, and facilitating programme planning based on locality and frailty levels:
- Creation of an information sheet to guide residents and seniors on available services in SR3, while reinforcing awareness of the ICCP initiative:
Ongoing discussions with partner providers on a suite of services to be delivered, including existing SASCO Home projects such as Guardian Angel (GA) and Virtual Reality Recreation Therapy (VRRT). Other viable services explored include Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), which may be relevant for seniors.
Entering 2026, work in Sengkang Seletar 3 is expected to stabilise in terms of roles, processes and workflows. Partners and agencies will continue navigating their respective care systems and software platforms to integrate workflows, ensuring a seamless experience for seniors as they transition between service providers or between healthcare institutions (e.g. clinics or hospitals) and community services within SR3.
For ICCP at Bedok 4, services are targeted to commence in April 2026. In the interim, groundwork has been laid to establish two Active Ageing Centres (AACs) and one Senior Care Centre (SCC), all of which are expected to be fully operational by 2027:
Looking ahead to Phase 2, community partners have undergone training in preparation for Care Coordination efforts commencing in April 2026.
Summary plans for 2026
- SASCO will establish a Care Team to support care coordination, strengthening service readiness and ensuring baseline services are delivered effectively and in alignment with service requirements.
- The ICCP model developed in Sengkang Seletar 3 can be replicated in Bedok 4, with further enhancements to services and projects.
- Partnerships with the Silver Generation Office, COMMIT/CREST (mental health and psychosocial support), and MOWs/METs (meal delivery and daily living support) will be deepened.
- Collaborations will be strengthened to enable sustainable community-based solutions and support collaborative research initiatives (e.g. SGAssist, SUSS, Universal Health).
- SASCO will continue working alongside key partners such as Regional Health Systems (RHS) and grassroots organisations to expand referral pathways and ensure seniors receive timely and holistic support.
