Due to aging population and an increasing number of patients with terminal illness, palliative and end-of-life care has lately become an important topic of concern in Hong Kong recently. In view of the concern over respect to patient self-determination and improvement of their quality of life at the terminal stage, the government will implement the legislative proposal of advance directives and dying in place in this year. To equip the sector with knowledge of the related topics and its impacts on palliative and end-of-life care service development, the Council publishes “Newsletter on Palliative and End-of-Life Care Service”.

The issue 6 of the newsletter is “Hospice Care in Residential Care Homes” (only Chinese version). Under a new amendment of ordinances related to dying in place, the Social Welfare Department promulgates related guidelines for residential care homes for people with disabilities and residential care homes for the elderly that are not nursing homes, and also help them implement the dying-in-place arrangements. This issue will share the concerns of residential care homes for the elderly over the provision of hospice care in the Residential Care Homes. Also, hospice care practice in a private residential care home is shared.

If you have any enquiries or comments on this publication, please contact Ms. Kelly Chong, Programme Executive (Tel: 28762445; email: [email protected]) or Mr. Norman Kwan, Officer (Tel: 28762435; email: [email protected]).

Attachment: Issue 6 of Newsletter on Palliative and End-of-Life Care Service: “Hospice  Care in Residential Care Homes” (only Chinese version)