Table 1
Participant characteristics (N = 53).
| HCWS, COMMUNITY PARTNERS AND GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS (N = 43) | CAREGIVERS (N = 10) | |
|---|---|---|
| N (%) | N (%) | |
| Number of Interviews | 22 | 8 |
| FGDs | 12 | 1 |
| IDIs | 10 | 7 |
| Profession | ||
| Nurse | 16 (37.2) | – |
| Doctor | 7 (16.3) | – |
| Medical Social Worker | 6 (14.0) | – |
| Physiotherapist/Occupational Therapist | 3 (7.0) | – |
| Community Partner | 5 (11.6) | – |
| Government Official | 6 (14.0) | – |
| Median years of experience in practice (range) | 11 (0–29) | – |
| Median years of caregiving (range) | – | 1.5 (0.3–10) |
| Median age of patient (range) | – | 82.5 (67–89) |
| Gender | ||
| Male | 4 (9.3) | 2 (20) |
| Female | 39 (90.7) | 8 (80) |
| Ethnicity | ||
| Chinese | 30 (69.8) | 9 (90) |
| Malay | 9 (20.9) | 1 (10) |
| Indian | 4 (9.3) | 0 (0) |
Table 2
Summary of themes and subthemes.
| THEME/DOMAIN | SUBTHEME | |
|---|---|---|
| Impact of COVID-19 on discharge planning and continuity of care in the community | Patient and caregiver related | Rejection of services by family members due to fear of COVID-19 infection |
| Limited digital literacy to adopt telehealth and tele-rehab as an alternative service | ||
| Inadequate communication with patients and their caregivers for post-discharge care | ||
| Healthcare worker related | Fear of infection during home visit leading to uncertainty in decision making | |
| Manpower shortage due to workforce redeployment | ||
| Government policy and health services related | Limited stepdown care options available | |
| Alternative services perceived to have limited benefits | ||
| Insufficient communication of COVID-19 restriction measures | ||
| Perceptions of essential services for care integration during lockdown | Services felt to be essential for continuum of care despite lockdown | Day Rehab/Day Care centres: to maintain wellbeing of patients and reduce caregiver burden |
| Cluster Support and case management: to ensure continuous monitoring of older adults in community | ||
| Medical Escort and Transport services: to ensure continuity of treatment | ||
| Home modification: to facilitate discharge and secure safe home environment | ||
| Curtailment or closure of services deemed justifiable | Prevention of COVID-19 transmission as top priority | |
| Ways to improve seamless transition of care | Patient and caregiver related | Empowering patients through improved digital literacy |
| Greater interpersonal interactions to enhance mental wellbeing of patients and caregivers | ||
| Healthcare worker related | Change in outlook – adaptability and positivity | |
| Improving intersectoral communication and multidisciplinary collaboration among care providers | ||
| Government policy and health services related | Fostering communication between authority and healthcare professionals and caregivers | |
| Revisiting definitions of “essential” services | ||
| Adapting service models to prepare for times of crisis | ||
| Integrated platform to streamline services |