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Facing the pandemic together with resilience
June Tang: “The programme was so popular that we received over a hundred applications from caregivers and parents in just a month.”
Navigating under COVID-19 pandemic has become a ‘new normal’ for the Hong Kong people. Ever since the start of 2020, June Tang has been pulling out all the stops to ensure that families in need continue to receive services at the Lok Sin Tong Mok Yip Sui Hung Child Development Centre / Rehabilitation Centre. As the centre-in-charge, she has been supporting children with special education needs (SEN), the elderly with speech and swallowing difficulties, as well as their caregivers. Overwhelmed by the pandemic, however, training at the centre was repeatedly halted. Therapists thus had to organise online consultations and workshops for caregivers to provide basic training to their families or loved ones at home.
During the fifth wave of COVID-19, June became increasingly worried about the growing pressure on caregivers. “It does nobody any good to be trapped at home for so long,” says June. “In particular, SEN children or seniors struggling with their speech or with swallowing difficulties after a stroke or surgery. They need daily training. However, therapy sessions provided by the Government and NGOs were suspended.” In response to pressing needs, June’s team came up with a programme to provide online consultations and home training advice to caregivers. Next, they applied for subsidies from The Jockey Club COVID-19 Emergency Fund to carry out the programme.
Within two weeks, the Club had approved the application. Soon after, a multi-disciplinary team consisting of speech therapists, occupational therapists and special child care workers launched the programme. They offered parenting advice and tailor-made home training skills to parents of children with SEN. They also taught communication and feeding skills to caregivers of the elderly with speech and swallowing difficulties.
“The programme was so popular that we received over a hundred applications from caregivers and parents in just a month,” says June. “It may be a one-time consultation, but it does ease the pressure on caregivers when they can consult with therapists and learn home training skills to support their family and loved ones at home.”