Research
Profile & Needs
Shanghai Caregivers
A GRF-funded project named "Family caregivers for the frail and very elderly: well-being and needs in Hong Kong and Shanghai" was conducted in 2009 tp (1) examine and develop a model that containing factors that contribute to well-being of the caregivers by adopting ecological perspective in Shanghai; (2) validate the developed ecological model in Hong Kong context; (3) identify service needs of family caregivers who may be at particular risk of psychological distress and/or ill-health; and (4) draw policy implications for caregiving policies in Hong Kong and Shanghai.
Hong Kong Caregivers
Hong Kong Council of Social Service (HKCSS) and Sau Po Centre on Ageing (CoA), with the support from Kerry Group, conducted a mixed-method study between June and October 2018 to study the profiles and needs of community and working adult caregivers. A total of 1,638 valid samples recruited from two sources, one was from members of District Elderly Community Centres (DECCs) and Neighbourhood Elderly Centres (NECs), the other was from corporates and social enterprises.
Couple
Spousal Collaboration Dynamcis
The study aimed to test specific functions of couple’s collaborative dynamics in mastering daily stressors that could facilitate more positive individual and relational well-being outcomes, and whether the effectiveness of collaboration varies as a function of perceived control of self and spouse during collaboration.
Dyadic strength-based
empowerment program (D-StEP-MCI)
To collaborate with the Tung Wah Groups Hospital (TWGH), this study developed a novel dyadic intervention based on empowerment and strengths-based paradigm to enhance the health outcomes of persons with mild cognitive impairment and their family caregivers. By using a RCT, D-Step-MCI was found to be effective in improving the cognitive function and mood status of the PwMCI. It also reduce caregivers’ depression and their stress in symptom management. With the support from the HKU Knowledge Exchange Fund, the D-StEP-MCI is now translating to the aged care service in the TWGH.
Eldercare Study 2019 & 2020
Initiated by The Women’s Foundation and joined by Sau Po Centre on Ageing at The University of Hong Kong and HSBC Life who together share a common vision and mission of “Eldercare is our Life Time Promise”, the three organizations have come together to conduct a study on eldercare to understand and qualify the need and cost of eldercare in Hong Kong today and in just over 40 years’ time. The study aims to find out how many Hong Kong people are giving and receiving eldercare now and in the future, and the subsequent cost to society, employers and individuals.
In view of the growing impact of dementia on working caregivers as well as the larger community, HSBC Life has again collaborated with the Sau Po Centre on Ageing at The University of Hong Kong and The Women’s Foundation this year in a study entitled “Working dementia caregivers: Challenges & Needs” 1. The study indicates that caregivers face serious challenges when taking care of dementia care recipients.
Caregiver Support
JC-Carer Alliance Project
The JC-Carer Alliance Project proposed a multi-step risk assessment and care management approach with the aim to (1) coordinating and building a network for “graduated carers” and current carers to enhance care capacity of carers and increase social capital; and (2) extending the concept of “age-friendly districts” to include “carers of elderly to envisage age-friendly policy.
Emergency Carer Support
Sau Po Centre on Ageing (CoA) and Christian Family Service Centre (CFSC) developed a project with the aim to (1) understand profiles of carers used carer support services provided under three Emergency Carer Support Projects under CFSC; and (2) building service model in providing timely emergency carer support services in the Hong Kong community context.
Self-administered acupressure
This study is supported by the Health and Medical Research Fund, with the aims to test the effects of a 8-week self-administered acupressure to improve the stress-related symptoms an quality of life of the Chinese family caregivers. Of 207 participants, 201 completed the study. The self-administered acupressure was found to be effective to improve the caregiver stress, fatigue, insomnia, depression and physical well-being of the caregivers upon the completion of self-practice. The stress-reliving effect was found to be sustainable till the 12-week follow-up.
WeRISE - Stroke Family
Empowerment Project
Approximately 22,000 stroke survivors were discharged to home or institutional care in Hong Kong each year. Stroke does not just affect the patients themselves, but also their caregivers and families. Stroke-related caregiving responsibilities and role changes often disrupts existing family dynamics, impacting the entire family.
We initiated and developed a two-tier care management model to provide necessary support to family caregivers of stroke patients. With trained care managers providing a first tier support and young-old volunteers providing a second tier support to the family caregivers, it is expected that the model could enhance family functioning in stroke families.
Male Caregiver
An increasing need for care, coupled with rapid increases in the number of dual-earner families in which one or both partners work long hours for pay may lead to a redistribution or the substitution of men’s care work for women’s. An increasing number of men had quit a job due to the need of taking care of members with disabilities.
Our project (i) examine factors that predispose sons to take on a caregiving role and how sons manage their caregiving role in their late adult life; (ii) investigate the lived experiences of caregiving sons in Hong Kong, mainly from three aspects: how they define caregiving; pains and gains in caring their parents; how caregiving role impacts other aspects of their individual life; (iii) explore the practical implications of conceptualizing sonhood for social issue.
Dementia
REACH-HK II App
"REACH-HK II" was jointly developed by The Charles K. Kao Foundation, The Hong Kong Council of Social Service, Mindlink Research Centre Limited, and Dr. Vivian Lou from the Sau Po Centre on Ageing of The University of Hong Kong. The purpose of "REACH-HK II" is to provide frontline social workers with more streamlined and convenient technical support to optimize "REACH-HK II" and meet the needs of dementia family caregivers. At the same time, We also strive to localize and popularize "REACH-HK II" in Hong Kong.
Positive aspects of caregiving
This project is supported by the General Research Fund, with the aim is to develop and test an integrative model based on the stress and coping paradigm and the existential paradigm, to explain positive aspects of caregiving among family caregivers of persons with dementia. It is a a A mixed method research, comprises a longitudinal exploratory study and a descriptive qualitative study. A total of 370 family caregivers will be recruited from community elderly centers. Questionnaires on positive aspects of caregiving and its predictors (including active dementia management strategies, meaning-focused coping and self-efficacy) and contextual factors (including social support, religiosity, continuous good dyadic relationship quality and intrinsic motivation toward caregiving) will be administered. Positive aspects of caregiving will be reassessed at six months later. Path analysis will be used to test the hypothesized model. A subsample of 30 family caregivers will be interviewed individually to explore how positive aspects of caregiving develop from the caregiving experience. Inductive thematic analysis will be used to for the qualitative data analysis.
Strength-based intervention
This project is supported by the General Research Fund. Based on the Based on the Antonovsky’s Theory of Salutogenesis, an eclectic approach is adopted to integrate strategies of narrative therapy and empowerment therapy to enhance the sense of coherence and thereby the health outcomes of dementia family caregivers. The proposed intervention is novel, and was found to be effective to improve the sense of coherence, burden, depression and mental well-being of the family caregivers in a double-blind RCT. Path analysis indicated that the positive changes in depression and mental health are all mediated through the successive improvement of SOC over the 22-week evaluative period, The study a significant impact on to advancing the Antonovsky’s Theory of Salutogenesi, and to inform a paradigm shift in supporting the family caregivers of persons with dementia.