Whether your project aims to support older people with disabilities? In which countries do you plan to work? At the expense of what funds do you plan to maintain the value of your token? What are the schemes of interaction with the governments of the countries you are developing?
Hi french_audrey, yes our project will definitely support the seniors with disabilities, and we even go beyond that, and instead of just focusing on the elderly who are weak and frail, we want to start the relationship with the elderly when they are well. Our Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Tan Jit Seng has developed a classification system to stratify the elderly according to physical and functional status which is a critical step in recommending relevant eldercare products and services to them. The individual’s account would serve as synopsis of their medical history, highlights and on-going updates. This allows the individual to have portability of their medical information. The 6 functional categories that an elderly can be grouped under, are:
1. Very Fit
- Not taking any long-term medications. Apart from screening purposes, not on any long-term routine follow up by any health services.
2. Managing well
- On long term medications (e.g. high blood pressure, high cholesterol)
- Not on specialist care - Never hospitalised for major event (e.g. heart attack)
3. Vulnerable
- Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) independent
- Post major event (e.g. heart attack or a minor stroke)
- On long term medications with care from Specialists in hospitals
4. Mildly Frail
- ADLs independent (can manage at home) and those who are semi-dependent (need help when going out)
- Instrumental ADL semi-dependent, will need others to manage finances, housekeeping, grocery shopping etc.
5. Frail
– assisted daily living (ADL) dependent after a severe medical event such as a major stroke or gradual decline from dementia or organ failures such as kidney failure.
6. Palliative
- Bed bound and maybe dying
Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) denotes the ability to:
1. Transfer oneself, i.e. from a sit to stand position.
2. Ambulate oneself, i.e. to walk from point A to point B.
3. Wash and Bath oneself, i.e. to be able to clean oneself like brushing teeth and taking a bath.
4. Toilet oneself, i.e. able to use the bathroom to urinate or defecate and clean up thereafter
5. Dress oneself, i.e. able to put on the full set of clothing, underwear, upper and lower garment.
6. Feed oneself, i.e. able to use tools to bring food to the mouth and eat.
Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (iADLs) denotes the ability to:
1. Cleaning and maintaining the house
2. Managing money
3. Moving within the community out of the house
4. Preparing meals
5. Shopping for groceries and necessities
6. Taking prescribed medications
7. Using the telephone or other form of communication
8. Doing laundry
In summary, each elderly is categorised into one of the 6 groups easily by themselves, their care coordinators or their family. With such stratification, government policies, products and services can be customised and presented to the elderly. Longitudinal data from each elderly can be logged and future usage of such long-term data can be presented to researchers if needed. The only difference is now the elderly have the control to allow the access of such data and be reimbursed directly by the research institutions.
