Transitional Care for Discharged Elders
In 2008, the Simon K Y Lee Elderly Fund supported the United Christian Medical Service to organize the Simon K Y Lee Transitional Care for Elderly Persons Project. Elderly patients were provided transitional residential care in the United Christian Nethersole Care Home after they were discharged from the United Christian Hospital. This innovative project addressed the service gap in discharge support and was recognized by the Hong Kong Government. When it announced in 2011 to extend the Integrated Discharge Support Programme for Elderly Patients to all districts in Hong Kong as a regular service, transitional residential care was added as a new element and would be available in 15 public hospitals over Hong Kong.
Value of the Project
Upon completion of a course of medical treatment, many elderly hospital patients suffer from deterioration in health and inability to perform daily activities such as bathing, dressing and toileting and need extra care if they return home immediately. However, those economically deprived, live alone and/or live with aged spouses are not able to receive such care. The Project thus helped to:
Provide for elders who have no carer upon hospital discharge with a safe place to be cared- Enhance the capability of discharged elders to return home with a better physical functioning and confidence after a short period of rehabilitation during transitional residential care
- Improve the health and well-being of elders after discharge and reduce unnecessary institutionalization
Over 160 elders have benefited from the Project. It demonstrated a mechanism to address the need of elders upon hospital discharge and the positive impact that could be brought. The Project has concluded in 2012 but as mentioned, the value of transitional residential care service is recognized and elders in need will soon be able to use the service in 15 public hospitals over Hong Kong.
Transitional Care for Discharged Elders
Before these two projects, the Elderly Fund supported a transitional residential care project for hospitalized elderly patients. The project was recognized by the Government whom later, in 2012, incorporated the element of transitional residential care into its Integrated Discharge Support Programme for Elderly Patients and extended the service to 15 public hospitals in Hong Kong.
Funding amount; $2.83M
