Benjamin Lim earned a doctoral degree while balancing full-time work as an occupational therapist. His experience proves that purpose and passion can redefine practice and care – particularly for seniors making the transition into nursing homes.  

For senior adults and their family members, making the transition from living at home to a nursing facility can be overwhelming. Overnight, they go from a familiar environment to an entirely different setting – a shift that often brings emotional distress and uncertainty. 
 

“Unintentionally, the biopsychosocial needs and well-being of these senior adults are often overshadowed by the exigencies of other admission requirements,” said Dr Benjamin Lim, a principal occupational therapist at NTUC Health. The biopsychosocial model looks at the complex interactions between body, mind, and environment. 
 

Having worked in the eldercare sector for more than a decade, Benjamin has witnessed this phenomenon repeatedly – and felt compelled to improve the transition process. His goal: to explore innovative approaches to healthcare that will not only enhance care quality but preserve the dignity of seniors, especially those in nursing homes. 
 

In 2020, he took the leap of faith and enrolled in SIT’s Doctor of Clinical Research in Health Sciences programme. It is SIT’s first doctoral programme, designed for healthcare professionals to deepen their technical expertise through industrial research and development. Benjamin, who was the sole student in his cohort, became the first homegrown doctorate clinical research graduate, with a specialisation in Occupational Therapy in 2025. 
 

Benjamin Lim at SIT Convocation (SIT Photo: Keng Photography)
 

Bridging the Gap between Theory and Practice 

Benjamin’s research uncovered that the first 30 days are crucial for a senior adult transitioning to living in a nursing home. A rocky start can lead to poorer health outcomes and reduced quality of life in the long run.  
 
But the challenge was complex, multifaceted, and lacking a straightforward solution – what design practitioners call a “wicked problem”, said Benjamin. In thinking of ways to help, he had to consider not only the experiences of senior adults and their families, but also that of the care teams striving to provide support with limited resources. 
 

This interdisciplinary project enabled him to integrate knowledge and skills from both occupational therapy and design thinking, demonstrating his ability to bridge these fields effectively.
 

Over four years, through in-depth research and interviews with some 50 senior adults, their families, and care staff, he managed to develop a comprehensive care model and a service blueprint targeted at a senior adult’s first 30 days in a nursing home in Singapore. Together, these tools help care staff place senior adults’ well-being at the heart of the transition. 
 

For instance, the service blueprint recommends that assessments be paced during admission to avoid overwhelming new residents. Staff members are also encouraged to check in with newcomers weekly to help them adjust to the new environment. 

The challenge didn’t stop there. “Developing the framework was tough, but gaining stakeholders’ buy-in was even tougher,” Benjamin noted. “Implementation goes beyond good ideas – it’s about aligning people and processes.” 
 

To tackle the issue, Benjamin conducted a design sprint with the care team at NTUC Health Nursing Home (Tampines), one of six in the NTUC Health network. Together, they refined the service blueprint and brainstormed ways to promote its acceptance. The blueprint was eventually piloted at the nursing home, and several practices remain in use today. 
 

Now, Benjamin has set his sights on bigger goals: to scale the model across other NTUC health nursing homes and eventually, across the sector. As one in four Singaporeans will be aged 65 years and above by 2030, his work will help plug knowledge gaps as Singapore’s population ages and increasingly faces dementia or disabilities.   

Balancing Work, Study, and Life

Benjamin’s doctoral journey was far from easy. As Head of Occupational Therapy and lead of the allied health teams at NTUC Health nursing homes, he had to be disciplined with his time. “Throughout the four years, every minute counted. I had to be efficient without neglecting what mattered most: my family and my faith.” 
 

He had to split his time between work, research, and family commitments, which resulted in many late nights. Despite the demanding schedule, he completed his doctorate in four years, faster than the typical five to seven years for candidates who are working.
 

Being the only candidate in his cohort came with its own challenges. “In some modules, I was the only student, or I took classes alongside master’s students,” he said. “It was a unique journey, but it gave me the chance to work closely with SIT to refine the experience for future cohorts.
 

He also found a strong support system in his academic supervisors, Associate Professor May Lim, Assistant Provost (Applied Learning) and Associate Professor Agnes Xue, as well as his industrial supervisor, Ms Irene Toh, Head of Allied Health at NTUC Health. “They even had an informal chat group to discuss my progress,” he quipped. “I wouldn’t have come this far without them.”

A proud moment for Benjamin and his academic supervisors (SIT Photo: Keng Photography)
 

But it is his Christian faith, his wife, and family that have helped enable his success, said Benjamin. He shared that his journey has consistently taught him one thing: the divine power that guides him is most evident during his moments of greatest vulnerability.
 

While juggling work and doctorate studies was challenging, Benjamin has no regrets. “I wanted my research to make a tangible difference to everyday practice. That’s why SIT was the right choice – it values applied learning and impact,” he said. Compared to overseas universities, SIT was also the right fit as it allowed him to directly address local, real-world challenges, rather than adapt overseas models.
 

His advice to aspiring doctoral students is simple. “Your motivation has to be greater than yourself. A doctorate is more than a title, it’s about purpose,” he said. 

“For me, that purpose has always been the senior adults I serve. They are an underserved population, and if nobody is going to serve them, then I will.”