From April 2009, Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui Welfare Council received funding from the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust to launch a three-year integrated and multi-dimensional stroke rehabilitation programme, namely CADENZA Community Project: Transitional Care for Stroke Patients, in the Residential Care Home for the Elderly of Cheerful Court. The project aims to maximise the effect of the “Golden Rehabilitation Period” and increase the chance of stroke patients to progress and recover. The benefits to the community go beyond treating the stroke patients, because the services can alleviate the burden on the public sector.
The CADENZA Community Project: Transitional Care for Stroke Patients: “The Way Ahead” Sharing Session was held on 26 April 2012. Speakers included Elderly Commission Chairman Professor Alfred Chan, BBS, JP, Kowloon Hospital Head of Rehabilitation Dr Mandy Fung, CADENZA Project Director Professor Jean Woo and Research Assistant Dr Patsy Pui Hing Chau, and the Council’s Assistant Director Mr Joe Sham. About 150 delegates from the government, medical and social welfare sectors, non-government organizations, academic and professional bodies attended the sharing session.
The Hong Kong Jockey Club’s Executive Manager, Charities, Ms Imelda Chan revealed that the Club donated over $3.75 million to the Council in 2009 to support the three-year CADENZA Community Project: Transitional Care for Stroke Patients. The successful launch of this project was attributed to the unfailing support of the Council, which has a history of over 40 years in providing social services, and in particular, shows strong commitment in elderly service. There has been continuous collaboration between the Club and the Council since 1974 to offer diversified services to various user groups such as children and youth, elderly and families.
The Council’s Director Dr Jane Lee said that launching innovative social services is always a main focus of the Council. The CADENZA Community Project not only offered integrated rehabilitation programmes to stroke patients, but also provided regular assessment on their recovery progress with scientific data, which could facilitate the design of more effective care plans for them.
In the sharing session, Professor Alfred Chan indicated that through the intensive rehabilitation programme conducted by a multidisciplinary team during the “Golden Rehabilitation Period”, transitional care could boost the recovery potential and progress of stroke patients. Dr Mandy Fung revealed that stroke rehabilitation programmes aim to help patients re-integrate into normal family life and society. The multidisciplinary rehabilitation team should consolidate current community resources in order to bring forth the concept of total rehabilitation. Dr Patsy Pui Hing Chau quoted her research findings that the Project provided patients with one more choice of rehabilitation programme as the Project could strengthen patients’ physical function and cognitive ability just like what public hospital stroke rehabilitation service did.
Service users Dr Tsang Tim Lam, Kwok Fook Kan, Cheung Yiu Chung and Luk Wai Keung shared their recovery experiences after joining the Project. To face the changes and challenges caused by stroke, they said patients had to be brave and determined. support from family members was also important during their recovery progress. They also appreciated the care and encouragement given by the rehabilitation team helping them to re-integrate into society. As Professor Alfred Chan said, the attitude of respecting lives was much more important than the use of advanced technology to help the patients, their families and the rehabilitation service team during the recovery period.