Posted by
Slammy
13 yrs ago
Hi,
Could anyone provide me with any contacts or ideas on how to help out someone who's elderly / disabled / chronic pain / no social network and living alone?
I'm happy to pay for some sort of help but I don't think he would want a live-in helper. I haven't asked him what he would want because I first want to present him with some choices to reduce the chance that he'll say he's fine and doesn't need anything - when in reality, he's living in pain with little social contact.
Any in-home nursing help can visit him twice a week? Any suggestions / ideas?
Thanks very much!
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Contact the China Coast Community.
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The China Coast Community is a charitable organisation.
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Hi,
Thanks for your replies. He's already been through the public hospital system for decades and they can't help him with his disability, except give him an injection for pain when it gets really bad.
I understand he does have some volunteers visit him but I'm not sure how often. So I'm going to see if he's open to having a helper come two hours a day to help clean. And maybe a weekly massage. I found a great government website - the Employees Retraining Board - where you can hire such people. However, he may not like the intrusion!
I'll also have a look at the China Coast Community.
His location is Yuen Long so it might be quite far away for some volunteers!
I wanted to encourage him to find a social community online, so he is communicating with people everyday - but being of the older generation, he says he doesn't like to sit in front of the computer very much. He can't also join any social club because he can't walk very well - so he's practically house-bound.
How do you get someone who's house-bound to build a social network? Otherwise they just live a lonely existence!
Thanks very much for your concern!
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Slammy,
It's very nice what you're doing, but would it be a better option for your friend to be in a nursing home given his situation?
Many nursing homes offer various activities such as group music therapy sessions which could work wonders for his emotional well being, not to mention the benefits of developing his social network...
All the best.
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Hi Rob,
Yes I never thought about him being in a nursing home until Woods99 mentioned the China Coast Community. So this is another option I'll look into. However, my friend is only 60ish (haven't asked his age!) and can take care of himself in every other aspect apart from not being able to walk very well. So he may not like to be in a home when he has his own flat in Yuen Long. But given his circumstances, I think it's a good idea - if there were some kind of assisted-living situation. Plus, if he ended up in China Coast - I can visit him much more often!
Anyone know of "nice" care homes? He's local, so he can speak both English and Chinese, so I fear this may mean he's not allowed to go to China Coast Community, which is for English speakers...
http://healthyageing.sphpc.cuhk.edu.hk/residential%20homes%20in%20HK_en.htm
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Slammy,
I am sure you have thought of this already, but it would probably not be too difficult to find a DH who has nursing qualifications?
From what I have read, China Coast Community will also provide in-home assistance. Although I am pretty sure that their focus is on people whose first language is not Chinese.
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Hi,
Actually my main concern is not for someone to help look after him, otherwise it would be easy to hire part-time helpers / nurses etc to visit him.
My main concern is his lack of a social network. He is sitting at home alone all day long with little contact with people, apart from perhaps some volunteers sporadically, and some phone calls. That's why I thought an aged care home would be a good idea because he will be surrounded by people, and they organise activities for their residents.
I'm looking into applying at the Social Welfare Department but it may be difficult as he is a home-owner. If he were a public housing tenant, I'm sure he could apply and wait for an aged care home. But as he owns his own house - even though he has no income and no social contact and disabled - I can imagine he would be turned down by the Social Welfare Department.
China Coast private fees are around $14,500 but of course, they are a charity and could probably help with costs. But once again, how would they feel, helping someone out who owns their own home!? And if he managed to rent his flat out, I don't think he can earn $14,500 per month...
And as you point out - they may not even help as he is a local.
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Hi Malka,
Thanks for your reply. When you say - would he welcome company, well of course it depends on "who" that company is. Which is why I haven't just hired a helper to go over two hours a day - in case that would irritate him.
He's not very mobile so he couldn't join into activities - although I have thought about hiring someone just to take him out in a wheelchair, but then do what?
It's difficult for me to find information as I'm an English-speaker, but today I think I will call Caritas and see if they can advise me what options my friend has for moving to a home where he can have "assisted living" and be more sociable. Surely there must be places in HK like overseas, where it's like a retirement village and you buy a place but there are nursing facilities and help each day etc. Then maybe he can sell his place and buy such a place and then live off his disability pension...
Thanks for your reply!
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Let us know what happens, Slammy.
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