About Us

2021 was another extraordinary year for All Saints Home as we continued to face challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Strengthening Our Defence

The year started with the COVID-19 vaccination programme for all staff, followed by residents and clients. This was vital to the safety of not just the vulnerable seniors but also our staff who were working hard to care for them. The vaccination rates of our residents were off to a slow start but gained traction with intensive educational efforts which helped our residents and their next-of-kins to be better informed and convinced of the benefits of vaccination. By the end of 2021, we achieved a 99.8% vaccination rate for staff across our centres, and more than 90% for residents and clients.

Apart from vaccinations, staff were subjected to Rostered Routine Testing (RRT) since the early part of the year which helped identify COVID-19 cases pre-emptively. By mid-year, Antigen Rapid Tests (ART) were introduced to visitors who were entering our premises.

Confronting Delta Tenaciously

Despite the stepped-up surveillance, we were unfortunately hit by the wave of Delta variant in September when a cluster was developed at our Jurong East Centre, which necessitated a total lockdown. Other centres were also affected, albeit to a lesser extent. As a response to the rising number of COVID-19 cases across centres, we swiftly transformed our headquarters-based Crisis Response Team into centre-based ones. This enabled greater agility in crisis response and communication with stakeholders. We were heartened that the Crisis Response Teams at all centres rose to the occasion, and managed to stabilise the situation within a few weeks.

With staff being infected, on Quarantine Orders, or on Health Risks Warnings, the manpower crunch became even more acute. Despite that, our staff soldiered on, clocking in extra hours, often in the discomfort of donning full Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), to ensure that our residents continued to receive quality care in a safe environment.

The sacrifices of our staff went beyond longer working hours and heavier workload associated with COVID-19. Due to travel restrictions, many had to put on hold their plans to travel home to see their loved ones. Most had not been home since the pandemic broke out two years ago, and some had to miss significant moments such as the birth of their children and passing of loved ones. News of political unrests, COVID-19 infections and natural disasters back home added to their emotional distress. To support the mental wellness of staff, no efforts were spared in engaging them and offering them professional help when needed, in addition to beefing up employees’ welfare, such as better food and living conditions.

Home Away from Home

During the year, as part of a longer-term housing solution, about 240 of our foreign staff were relocated to rented HDB flats. Prior to this, they were housed in four blocks of serviced apartments in compliance with split teams and safe distancing guidelines following the “Circuit Breaker” in 2020. This was a mammoth project which required meticulous planning, coordination, and execution. Kudos to our Human Resources Department who completed this relocation project within a remarkable time of three months. Thanks to the generosity of our donors and sponsors, our staff were blessed with furniture and household appliances which contributed to making their flats more homely and comfortable.

Holding On Together

Amid the pandemic, our volunteers and donors remained unwavering in their support. Our volunteers continued to engage our residents through virtual programmes and provided essential services such as haircut and sewing. Our donors provided strong support for our three major fundraising events – “StepUp4ASH” virtual marathon, “ASH Cyclethon” (covering 100 km with pit stops at the four centres) and the virtual “All Saints Home Thanksgiving Night” which was livestreamed via Facebook. The highlight for the Thanksgiving Night was the 40-strong All Saints Home Virtual Choir, comprising of staff and board members, which gave a moving rendition of the Diana Ross classic “If We Hold On Together”. This song affirmed our resolve to stay united as a team as we brave through the storms together.

Being More Dementia-Friendly

Whilst strengthening our “heart-ware”, we continued to spruce up our “hardware” (facilities). Visitors to our Yishun and Hougang centres would have noticed the newly completed therapeutic gardens in lush greenery, as well as the “kampong” themed wall murals in our Yishun centre, both completed during the year despite earlier threats of project delays due to manpower shortages plaguing contractors. These were part of the dementia-friendly project, funded by the Agency for Integrated Care and the Ministry of Health, which started in 2019 and will last till 2022 when the remaining parts of the project complete.

Moving Forward

Looking ahead, All Saints Home is bracing for the “new normal” where Singapore will be opened up further, and where we will have to learn to live with COVID-19. More volunteers are expected to return onsite to engage with our residents, something our residents have been eagerly anticipating after enduring more than two years of frequent visitation suspensions, restrictions and the ban from home leave and excursions. Volunteer activities in the future however are likely to take a different form – one focusing more on in-depth interactions in smaller groups. As mandated by the Ministry of Health, all regular volunteers will have to be vaccinated for TDAP (tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis) and MMR (measles, mumps and rubella). A new digital Volunteer Management System that offers a one-stop platform for our volunteers to view and register for volunteering opportunities will be launched, making the volunteering experience more seamless. Also, as part of the preparation to scale up volunteering, the Corporate Affairs Department (also responsible for Fundraising) and the Community Relations Department were merged to further capitalise on synergies between the two departments, and rebranded as Corporate & Community Affairs Department.

On the clinical side, we will continue to be committed to delivering the model of care which encompasses physical, psycho-social, and spiritual care for our residents and clients. In tandem with this, the four frontline care departments – Medical Services, Nursing, Rehabilitative Services and Medical Social Services – went through restructuring to strengthen clinical excellence, resident / client-centricity and multi-disciplinary collaboration.

A Heart of Gratitude

Looking back at such an eventful year, filled with “blood, sweat and tears”, I cannot help but give thanks to the Almighty God for His strength and provisions. Quoting from the words of the Apostle Paul from 2 Corinthians 4:8-9, “We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed”. May the shared experiences continue to strengthen our resilience and bond as an All Saints Home family, as we journey on to fulfil our vision and mission.

In closing, I would like to express my sincere appreciation to all stakeholders of All Saints Home – our staff, board members, residents, clients, next-of-kins, donors, volunteers, regulators, vendors – for your dedicated and steadfast support. Thank you also for your cooperation, encouragement and affirmation which have made my service at All Saints Home a joyful and fulfilling one.

May all glory be to the Almighty God!

Mr Samuel Tan

Chief Executive Officer