Carer training programmes and support services, such as counselling services, mutual support groups and group-based psychosocial interventions are widely available in Hong Kong and are provided by all publicly funded community care service units operated by NGOs including elderly community centres, day care centres, and home care teams. Home care teams even provide on-site training at the carer’s home when necessary. Furthermore, since the implementation of the carer allowance scheme, the coverage of carer training programmes, and the support services have been further broadened, social workers at elderly community centres (i.e., District Elderly Community Centres) can reach more carers in need. Although these training programmes are not necessarily dementia-specific, dementia is a common and recurrent training topic.

In addition, the dementia-specific carer training programme is delivered under the territory-wide Dementia Community Support Scheme. One of the core services of the scheme is the “provision of training and support services to the carers on stress management and counselling services, knowledge of taking care of elderly people with dementia, formation of carer support groups, etc. with a view to alleviating carers’ burden” (Food and Health Bureau, 2019a). For more details about Dementia Community Support Scheme, please refer to Part 7.

Apart from the social care service units, the healthcare sector is also providing carer training and support. Under the Department of Health, Visit Health Teams are providing territory-wide out-reaching services in the community to provide health promotion activities for the elderly and their carers in order to increase their health awareness and the self-care ability of the elderly, and to enhance the quality of caregiving (Department of Health, 2019a). And under the Hospital Authority, a website “SmartElders” (https://www21.ha.org.hk/smartpatient/SmartElders/zh-HK/Welcome/) was established to provide useful online resources for both the older adults and their carers.

References:

Department of Health. (2019a, 1 October 2019). Elderly Heatlh Service. Retrieved from https://www.dh.gov.hk/english/main/main_ehs/main_ehs.html

Food and Health Bureau. (2019a, 4 June, 2019). Dementia Community Support Scheme. Retrieved from https://www.fhb.gov.hk/en/press_and_publications/otherinfo/180500_dcss/dcss_index.html