BACKGROUND AND DETAILS
The problem brought by dysphagia has received an increasing public attention in Hong Kong. The negative consequences, such as weight loss have become a big concern to caregivers of elders and patients. Based on a survey finding of HKCSS in 2017, it was found that over 55% of elders in residential homes suffer from dysphagia. Despite of the growing population, not many solutions are currently offered in the market except some trials initiated by NGOs, social enterprises and private food suppliers. It is estimated that over 0.5 million of dysphagia and cancer patients will be benefited by this movement.
This project hopes to:
- Build up a Vibrant Care Food Sector: ‘Care food / soft food’ is still a new concept to both the demand side (caregivers and caretakers) and supply side (food producers and service providers). By developing unified standard and best practices together with key stakeholders in the field to offer various kind of support to interested parties, we wish to build up a care food sector in which eventually elders and patients with dysphagia will be served.
- Capacity building of service providers and individual caregivers: Enhance knowledge of service providers (e.g. NGOs) and caregivers on the daily challenges faced by elders and patients with dysphagia, offer hands-on skills (e.g. cooking, feedback skills) and professional support to caregivers in need.
- Public awareness building: Promote the concept of ‘care food’ and make solutions available in the community and raise public concern about the problems led by poor diets of elders and patient with special need.
- Benefit people in need on individual level: Directly benefit elders and patients in the collaborating residential homes and improve their quality of life.
PARTNERS ENGAGED
- University of Hong Kong and Chinese University of Hong Kong: Provide academic knowledge on the development of a unified care food standard in Hong Kong (taking reference from existing practices in Japan, Europe and US)
- Elderly nursing homes in Hong Kong: Service providers who can take part in service delivery
- Culinary schools and individual caregivers: Receive training and train-up more caregivers in the community
- Potential food suppliers (social enterprises, private companies and NGOs): Participate in the R&D and production of care food as well as delivery of product
IMPLEMENTATION PLAN
July – Aug 2019 |
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November 2019 |
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Mid 2020 |
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