SINGAPORE - When Mr Lim The Leng, 70, started physiotherapy, Touch Home Care staff realised that his spirit and mood were spiralling downwards as he progressed.

It was only through discussion with the team that cared for him that one of the nurses revealed he used to enjoy Latin dancing.

So at the next therapy session, the physiotherapist began to play Latin music through her phone. It motivated him to do his exercises for the session and enabled him to meet joint therapy goals within the next few visits.

The need to understand residents on a more personal level like this has led to the development of a new healthcare IT system called IngoT PCC (Person-Centred Care), which is funded by Singapore philanthropic house, Lien Foundation, and developed by aged care technology solutions provider, Pulsesync.

With the system, eldercare staff are able to access their clients' history, interests, hobbies and dislikes through a website on computers or mobile gadgets, in a way that is similar to reading someone's Facebook timeline. This allows eldercare staff to better understand their clients more easily when compared to current practices.

"Currently, care plans and individual needs are recorded manually," said Mr Tan Song Mong, director of PAP Community Foundation's (PCF) Senior Care Division said in a statement on Thursday (May 25). "The care team also spends a lot of time having to brief and remind one another about clients' backgrounds, likes and dislikes."

Now, such information will all be integrated into the one platform, the IngoT PCC, to improve productivity of eldercare operators.

"We have eradicated over more than 140 types of paper, forms and reports, by digitising all the processes and interactions," said Mr Lee Poh Wah, chief executive officer of Lien Foundation. "Productivity has increased by 10 per cent."

Managing director of Pulsesync, Mr Ken Tan, said that with the system, "we want to drive a paradigm shift towards a person-centred care philosophy".

For instance, the system will allow family members of the elderly to contribute to their profile and access a summary of their current health condition, among other functions.

Client information can also be entered into the system by other eldercare staff and the clients themselves.

"Our seniors are people, not just a collection of medical conditions," said Mr Lee. "We must focus not just on medicine, but also connect those in the circle of care, build relationships and trust and, above all, maximise quality of life for our seniors."

The system will be made available to 11 voluntary welfare organisations (VWOs) that run 25 eldercare services and centres, such as nursing homes, day care centres and home care services. There are plans for IngoT PCC to be deployed from the first quarter of 2018.