Seventy-seven-year-old Chan Guan How used to spend  his days mostly in bed for two months after returning from the hospital. He had suffered a number of conditions including urinary tract infection, dysphagia (difficulty in swallowing) and pneumonia. His family including his son, Chan Kheng How, wanted more for his father and after finding out about NTUC Eldercare's Care@home programme through the internet and what it could offer his father at home, the younger Chan quickly took the next step to get some help.

In April, he engaged the programme's iCare Officer first to help his father with his baths, as well as light massages and basic bed exercises. After bath, the officer would help apply moisturiser to his skin. Once the younger Chan found a maid who was able to take care of his father's personal hygiene, he next called in the programme's physiotherapist, who comes in once a week and teaches him simple leg and arm exercises, and gives him leg massages. The physiotherapist also helps the elder Chan to walk around with the quad stick. The maid is able to pick up some tips and help with the exercises when the physiotherapist is not around.

Before the physiotherapist came, Chan could not even sit up, was unable to feed himself and had poor flexibility. But now, he can sit in his wheelchair for more than four hours and even hold his glass of milk. One time, Chan walked from his bedroom to the living room using the quad stick, with the maid by his side, to the amazement of his son. He is also able to stand by the window for about five to ten minutes with his maid by his side. "I am very happy with the improvements my father has made and the staff from the Care@home programme have been very helpful in assisting him. Without them, he would still be bed-bound," said the younger Chan.

He hopes that one day his father will be able to walk by himself with the help of the walking stick and without his maid's assistance. The day may not seem very far now.