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Stroke Support Station (S3) At Bukit Merah

Singapore’s first dedicated wellness centre for stroke survivors offers a programme that promotes self-reliance among survivors and their caregivers.

Singapore’s Stroke Support Station

The Stroke Support Station (S3) wellness centre, which officially opened in May 2016, offers a platform for stroke survivors and their caregivers to join in a host of support programmes.

To increase awareness about stroke and help enable an inclusive society, S3 and the National University Health System (NUHS) signed a memorandum of agreement to formalise a partnership. S3 is supported by the National University Hospital (NUH), where doctors, nurses, therapists and medical social workers provide guidance on programme development and staff training.

Stroke Support Services

The idea is not to provide the usual kind of support such as home care, rehabilitation centres and day care facilities, but to teach stroke patients how to be self-reliant. At this stroke rehabilitation centre, events include Mindfulness Awareness Practice sessions for stroke survivors and their caregivers, which aim to enhance resilience and improve coping skills; to regain better coordination in their limbs, stroke survivors can learn how to play musical instruments such as drums, and take part in modified tai chi sessions.

As stroke patients often struggle to come to terms with their loss of mobility, attendees at S3 also learn coping skills to enable them to conduct daily activities confidently, helping them to lead independent lives.

Providing Emotional Support

Stroke is a major cause of death and disability in Singapore. The National Registry of Disease Office reported 6,642 cases of stroke in Singapore in 2013 — a 12 percent increase from 2010. According to a study by NUH doctors, only 27 percent of stroke survivors continue to attend centre-based rehabilitation at the one-year mark after discharge. It is therefore important to raise awareness of stroke and post-stroke support in the community.

In the future, the NUH and S3 hope to collaborate to explore cooperation with other agencies to facilitate the return to work for stroke survivors, as well as to work with employers to advocate employment opportunities for them.

Based on article titled “Life After Stroke”, first published in Lifeline, Issue 4, 2016.

This article was last reviewed on Thursday, April 18, 2019