The provision of care foods has emerged as a significant focus in Hong Kong, owing to the collaborative endeavors of diverse industry stakeholders in recent years. With the Hong Kong government allocating funds to subsidize the procurement of care foods within NGO settings, individuals residing in residential care homes for the elderly and persons with disabilities can now access these specialized meals. However, it's important to acknowledge that the development of care foods in Hong Kong is still in its early stages compared to countries like Japan, where it has seen more extensive advancement.
Beyond governmental financial support for acquiring care foods, several other pivotal factors require attention to effectively implement care food provision within NGO settings. These encompass initiatives to enhance organizational capacity for producing care foods adhering to the IDDSI level, comprehensive training programs aimed at increasing awareness and advocating for the significance of care foods among frontline staff and caregivers and fostering interdisciplinary discussions to address concerns about care foods across various disciplines.
During this presentation, we will delve into the journey of Haven of Hope Christian Service as we embarked on the implementation of care food provision through our "Eating in Dignity" project initiated in 2017, which now regularly supplies care foods to service users in various settings. We will explore the challenges encountered during implementation and the strategies employed to overcome them. Furthermore, we will evaluate the project's effectiveness thus far, highlighting tangible outcomes and identifying areas for further enhancement. Moreover, we will illustrate how the overarching concept of "Eating in Dignity" is realized through the provision of care foods to service users within Haven of Hope Christian Service, showcasing its transformative impact on the quality of life for those we serve.
