HKCSS “Youth Internship in Caring Profession for a Brighter Future” Project

Sharing by Ivy Ho
Year-4 student of BSc (Hons) in PT programme

The fifth wave of COVID-19 has been the largest outbreak so far. Over 90% of the residential care homes for the elderly (RCHEs) and 80% of the residential care homes for persons with disabilities (RCHDs) have been infected. In light of this, HKCSS provided us with a valuable opportunity to work at RCHEs and RCHDs.

HKCSS swiftly matched me and my classmate to Fu Hong Society Kit Hong Home. It is a RCHD with about 45 residents. Most of the residents were infected with Omicron in March.

On our first day of work, the staff there introduced the characteristics of every resident. They taught us how to communicate with the residents and guess their needs. They also reminded us that some residents might get irritated, and we should stay alert all the time. One of our unforgettable experiences occurred when we helped collect empty cups after a tea session one day. A resident got irritated suddenly and yelled at us. We were too confused and a bit scared to approach her. We later figured out that she was angry because we had taken away her empty cup without asking her. From this experience, I learned that we should know more about the residents’ habits. Sometimes they may not be able to express their thoughts clearly. If we know more about their lifestyle and pay attention to their facial expressions, we can guess what they are thinking about.

Our duty at Kit Hong Home was to organise different activities for the residents. We formed activity groups like massage groups, strolling groups and leisure groups. In the massage groups, we released residents’ muscle tightness through massaging and prolonged stretching of their muscles. The residents there are mainly bed-bound or chair-bound, and muscle tightness or even bone deformities are very common among them. My classmate and I helped one of the residents with cerebral palsy to release his spastic muscles. During the massage, we saw him smile happily. The staff were also surprised by the results. We planned to teach the staff some basic massage techniques as well.

Due to limited resources and time, the residents might not have frequent physiotherapy sessions. In addition, after being infected with the coronavirus, some residents were weaker than before and therefore needed to exercise more to enhance physical functions. With this valuable chance, we can utilise our professional knowledge and lend a helping hand to these RCHEs and RCHDs during this difficult time.