A pilot scheme designed to support the elderly and carers in their communities has been serving households in a total of 36 sub-districts in the Tsuen Wan and Southern districts since its launch in March.
Service commitment: Social Welfare Department Chief Social Work Officer (Elderly) Mable Tsang explains that the scheme provides follow-up services and support to people in need regardless of their background and financial conditions. Source: news.gov.hk
The District Services & Community Care Teams – Pilot Scheme on Supporting Elderly & Carers provides caring services and follow-up support to those in need.
One elderly couple who have benefited from the scheme are Mr and Mrs Yiu. They live alone and have recently experienced challenges.
“I was quite confident in myself as I was healthy and could do anything,” said Mrs Yiu. “Now, though, my husband is not well, and I think it would be better if there was someone else to stand by me.”
Mr Yiu has long-term health conditions such as high blood pressure and arrhythmia, and has difficulty walking. When he suffered a heart attack earlier this year, Mrs Yiu suddenly felt isolated and unsure of what to do.
Building trust: Tsuen Wan District Lai To Sub-district Care Team Captain Wong Wai-kit says regular promotional activities are carried out in communities to build relationship with residents. Source: news.gov.hk
“I was so nervous when he had a heart attack in the middle of the night,” she recounted. “He cramped up afterwards, and I felt like my heart was doing the same. I felt very helpless, all alone.”
Community resources
Recognising that they needed help, Mrs Yiu sought assistance at a booth manned by a Care Team in their local community. The team helped her to register for the pilot scheme, which has allowed the couple to access community resources and help with daily living. Thanks to a subsidy, they can also make use of an emergency alarm system in their home.
“After the installation of the emergency alarm system, I can seek help from it whenever I face difficulties,” said Mrs Yiu.
Ready assistance: Mrs Yiu (right) says that thanks to the scheme she and her husband (left), who suffered a heart attack earlier this year, can seek help whenever they face difficulties. Source: news.gov.hk
Mr Yiu added: “The Care Team was very willing to help us with the malfunction of a light bulb and of our cooking stove. I am so grateful for that.”
According to Tsuen Wan District Lai To Sub-district Care Team Captain Wong Wai-kit, elderly people often hesitate about seeking services as they think they can still manage on their own and may have concerns over possible fees.
“We conduct regular promotions within local communities, aiming to build relationships and trust with the residents through face-to-face interactions such as home visits, street booths and other activities,” he said. “Also, we hope to further spread our service information through the networks established with elderly persons and carers in the community.”
Follow-up services
The Social Welfare Department has provided relevant training for the Care Teams, covering aspects such as communication skills for volunteer visits and how to identify households' service needs.
Feeling grateful: Mr Yiu says the help provided by the Care Team in various aspects of daily living has been greatly beneficial to him and his wife. Source: news.gov.hk
According to Social Welfare Department Chief Social Work Officer (Elderly) Mable Tsang, the scheme also provides follow-up services including visits, phone contact, face-to-face contact, and invitations to activities, to provide ongoing care to households in need.
“On follow-up support services, the Care Teams will introduce community resources to elderly persons or carers in need, or refer them to apply for relevant welfare service,” she explained. “They will also refer needy cases to social welfare service units for appropriate follow-up actions, such as District Elderly Community Centres or Neighbourhood Elderly Centres.
She added: “The pilot scheme aims to reach out to households of singleton and doubleton elderly, and carers of the elderly persons, or persons with disability, in need, regardless of their background and financial conditions.”
The department is considering extending the pilot scheme to all 18 districts.