Local studies on dementia care usually collect information about the use of domestic helpers (informal care worker) in the household of the people with dementia. Findings from several local studies are identified and summarised below. The proportion of people with dementia receiving care from informal care worker ranges between 26 – 54%.

Yan & Kwok (2011)

Sample: 122 family carers of PwD

Source of participants: District community centres

% hiring an informal care worker: 38%

Chau et al. (2012)

Sample: 300 older adults with both functional and cognitive impairments

Source of participants: Public hospitals, district community centres and day care centres

% hiring an informal care worker: 48%

Kwok et al. (2013)

Sample: 37 family carers of PwD

Source of participants: Memory clinic and hotline services of dementia service centre

% hiring an informal care worker: 54%

Cheng et al. (2013b)

Sample: 142 family carers of PwD

Source of participants: Clinics, social service agencies, and community-dwelling

% hiring an informal care worker :older adults with diagnosis but not known to service 26%

Wong & Shi, 2020

Sample: 1385 dyads of PwDs and family carers

Source of participants: Dementia Community Support Scheme

% hiring an informal care worker: 32%

In view of the significant role of foreign domestic helpers in informal care for older adults, the Social Welfare Department of the Government has implemented the ‘Pilot Scheme on Training for Foreign Domestic Helpers in Elderly Care’ to strengthen the caregiving skills of foreign domestic helpers. The training has started in September 2019 and is delivered by nurses, dieticians, physiotherapists, and occupational therapists from the Department of Health. It consists of 12 core modules on common topics about elderly care and care skills, and 4 elective modules on dementia and stroke. For dementia, the topics are ‘meal arrangements for elderly persons with dementia’, ‘communicating with the elderly persons with dementia’, and ‘managing behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia’. The course is fully subsidised and aims to train 950 foreign domestic helpers (Social Welfare Department, 2020h).

References:

Chau, P. H., Woo, J., Kwok, T., Chan, F., Hui, E., & Chan, K. C. (2012). Usage of community services and domestic helpers predicted institutionalization of elders having functional or cognitive impairments: A 12-month longitudinal study in Hong Kong. Journal of the American Medical Directors Association, 13(2), 169-175.

Cheng, S. T., Lam, L. C. W., Kwok, T., Ng, N. S. S., & Fung, A. W. T. (2013b). The social networks of Hong Kong Chinese family caregivers of Alzheimer’s disease: Correlates with positive gains and burden. Gerontologist, 53(6), 998-1008.

Kwok, T., Wong, B., Ip, I., Chui, K., Young, D., & Ho, F. (2013). Telephone-delivered psychoeducational intervention for Hong Kong Chinese dementia caregivers: a single-blinded randomized controlled trial. Clinical interventions in aging, 8, 1191-1197. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.2147/CIA.S48264

Social Welfare Department. (2020h, 19 May 2020). Pilot Scheme on Training for Foreign Domestic Helpers in Elderly Care. Retrieved from https://www.swd.gov.hk/en/index/site_pubsvc/page_elderly/sub_psfdh/

Wong, G. H.-Y., & Shi, C. (2020). Evaluation Study of the Dementia Community Support Scheme. Unpublished Manuscript. Department of Social Work and Social Adminstration. The Universtiy of Hong Kong. Hong Kong.

Yan, E., & Kwok, T. (2011). Abuse of older Chinese with dementia by family caregivers: an inquiry into the role of caregiver burden. International Journal Of Geriatric Psychiatry, 26(5), 527-535. doi:10.1002/gps.2561