In light of more effective medical advancements, many more cancer patients are living longer. While cancer is now being recognised and treated as chronic conditions, survivors need to copy with short and long-term physical health consequences such as fatigue, skin sensitivity, infertility and recurrent infections. To help cancer survivors stay in optimum health and independence, enhancing their self-management capacities is our imminent concern.
Hardship during Survivorship
Our experience told us that many survivors face a lot of psychosocial hurdles during their survivorship, like fear of recurrence, depression, uncertainty in family relationship and lack of confidence in self-image, confusion in adjusting to social life, obstacles in employment and persistent financial worries.
Bridge the Service Gap in Continuity of Care
In Hong Kong, majority of cancer survivors are being treated in an outpatient setting. Patients are expected to care for themselves with the help of family throughout the cancer treatment and survivorship. Currently there is a service gap between hospital and the community/home. Patient staying at home are often lack of knowledge and skills in caring for the treatment side-effects, not to mention their anxieties and distresses.
In order to make the service more easily accessible for cancer patients and their families, The Hong Kong Anti-Cancer Society (HKACS) collaborates with Christian Family Service Centre, Alice Ho Miu Ling Nethersole Charity Foundation, HKSKH Lady MacLehose Centre and Maggie’s Cancer Caring Centre in the Jockey Club Cancer Survivorship Care Project, to provide timely support to cancer patients and their families and equip them with skills to obtain optimum survivorship. HKACS is the overall coordinator of this collaborative Project.
Community-based centres have been set up in Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, New Territories East and New Territories West. The four centres provide personalised supports to cancer families. Maggie's Centre serves as a satellite centre to organise part of the wellness programmes
Patient-centred, Family-based and Community-outreach Support
Years of concrete front line experience had proven that patient-centred, family-based and community-outreach model was able to provide timely support to bridge the service gap in the existing medical-led healthcare system.
Designated Case Manager for Continued Support
Upon receipt of a referral, a case manager (either social workers or nurses) would be assigned and immediate assessment was carried out to plan the overall care which included emotional counselling and advice via telephone or home / community visits, nutrition, mobilization of community resources / social benefits / medical assistance, tangible assistance including nutritional supplements, rehabilitation items, transportation aids, , etc. Professional consultation such as Chinese Medicine, fitting of breast prosthesis, dietetic and physiotherapy was linked up when required.
Hardship during Survivorship
Our experience told us that many survivors face a lot of psychosocial hurdles during their survivorship, like fear of recurrence, depression, uncertainty in family relationship and lack of confidence in self-image, confusion in adjusting to social life, obstacles in employment and persistent financial worries.
Striving for Betterment of Cancer Families
As the oldest cancer service organization in Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Anti-Cancer Society has been working for the Hong Kong people for 60 years. To align with the "Hong Kong Cancer Strategy" released by the government in July 2019, we shall strive to collaborate at different levels, establish a comprehensive plan for survivors, reduce the burden of cancer on Hong Kong, improve the quality of life of cancer patients and increase their survival prospect.