Hong Kong's population is projected to continue aging, with the elderly population expected to reach more than one in three by 2046. The elderly are at higher risk of developing swallowing difficulties, thus the number of people with swallowing difficulties and the demand for care meals are expected to increase accordingly. Besides the elderly, other causes such as illnesses like stroke, Parkinson's disease, cognitive impairment, or wearing ill-fitting dentures can also lead to swallowing difficulties.

In recent years, this issue has received increasing attention from all sides, and related products have also proliferated. However, there is still no unified standard for soft meals, chopped meals, pureed meals, or "care meals." Different institutions, care homes, and product suppliers in the market have their own guidelines and applications, which can lead to confusion. Therefore, the Hong Kong Council of Social Service previously developed a "Care Meal Standards Guide" to provide a unified, clear, and localized set of guidelines for the long-term construction of a sound and sustainable "care meal" ecosystem.

The "Guidelines for Standard Foods for Caregivers" already contains a lot of information, such as cooking tips and application testing programs, for caregivers and industry professionals to refer to. However, text and pictures have their limitations. Therefore, we have gone a step further and created a handbook for caregivers, supplemented with video demonstrations, to make it easier for caregivers to understand.

Caregivers bear a heavy responsibility year after year, tirelessly caring for patients, and facing immense pressure. We sincerely hope that this handbook will provide them with useful information, allowing them more time to rest and take better care of their families.