Community Collaboration in Promoting Care Food, Allowing People with Swallowing Difficulties to"Eat with Joy" <TOPick>

The Hong Kong Council of Social Service (HKCSS) recently launched the "Care Food: Enjoyable Meals for All" Community Initiative ("the Initiative"), bringing together diverse stakeholders to provide innovative Care Food meal boxes for community members in need. This ensures individuals with declining chewing and swallowing abilities can enjoy safe, dignified, and satisfying meals.

As one of the Initiative's partners, Lok Sin Tong's social enterprise—the Lok Sin Tong Meal Delivery Service Centre—supplies Care Food meals and serves as a distribution hub. Mr. Chan Wai-kei, Acting Social Enterprise Project Development Manager at Lok Sin Tong, shared that initially, chefs had limited understanding of categorizing and preparing ingredients by Care Food levels. Through targeted training provided by HKCSS, they not only enhanced their Care Food preparation skills but also gained greater job satisfaction.

Another partner, The Salvation Army, helps identify eligible individuals in the community and provides follow-up support. Mr. Wan Ho-hin, a social worker at The Salvation Army's Hoi Lam Centre for Senior Citizens in Mong Kok, noted that many seniors were unaware of their early-stage swallowing difficulties. Participation in the Initiative and related training has proven effective in slowing functional decline.

Published on July 29, 2024, in TOPick — "Putting Compassion into Action"

Full article: https://shorturl.at/T7FSq

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