Faculty of Social Sciences, HKU
The Faculty of Social Sciences was established in 1967 and has since undergone rapid expansion and significant transformation. In addition to its five Departments, the Faculty has seven multidisciplinary research centres / units that provide a platform for research collaboration among colleagues on campus and around the world. The Faculty seeks to contribute to the advancement of society and the development of leaders through a global presence, regional significance and engagement with the rest of China. The Faculty strives to attract and nurture outstanding scholars in the social sciences from around the world through excellence and innovation in teaching and learning, research and knowledge exchange. The Faculty aims to produce citizens with a global perspective who are critical thinkers, socially aware, ready to embrace diversity, and seek to make an impact on society.
The Faculty will concentrate on providing trainings to healthcare and social care professionals mainly on communications and psychosocial interventions. Holistic training programmes will also be conducted to end-of-life care (EoLC) volunteers, in both face-to-face and virtual format. Besides, public education initiatives will be raised to increase the public awareness on end-of-life care, especially on advance care planning and encouraging communications between patients and the family members. A systematic evaluation will be taken place, not only to evaluate the effectiveness of the afore-mentioned education programmes, but also to evaluate the effectiveness of the end-of-life care service model, which developed by the HKU team, and implemented by the project’s NGO partners.
Project Director: Professor Amy Chow and Professor Vivian Lou, Department of Social Work and Social Administration
Project Advisor: Professor Cecilia Chan, Department of Social Work and Social Administration
CUHK Jockey Club Institute of Ageing
The CUHK Jockey Club Institute of Ageing (IoA) is established in 2014 to overcome the challenges brought by the ageing population to Hong Kong. With the vision to make Hong Kong an age-friendly city in the world, IoA will synergize the research personnel and efforts on ageing across disciplines to promote and implement holistic strategies for active ageing through research, policy advice, community outreach and knowledge transfer.
IOA will collaborate with the Hospital Authority to improve the quality of end-of-life care in community and hospitals in Hong Kong. Enhancing the capacity of healthcare professional in providing end-of-life care service and educating patients, family members and the public on how to face death are key factors on improving the quality of end-of-life care. Therefore, a mindset change of healthcare professionals and enhancement of service model in handling patients in hospital will be important. It is hoped that the programme implemented in the New Territories East cluster will serve as a useful model for other clusters to consider and adopt in future.
Haven of Hope Christian Service
Haven of Hope Christian Service (HOHCS) was established in 1953. Through a ministry of holistic care, HOHCS strive to share the Gospel and develop Christian Community. In the love of Christ, HOHCS delivers service in a caring, professional and progressive spirit so that the lives of those serving and being served are mutually enriched.
There are two teams (ICEST team and IRHEST team) working under the JCECC Project. The ICEST team aims to enhance quality end-of-life care in client’s home and in the community and improve the quality of life of end-of-life patients and their family members. While the IRHEST team aims to provide service to targeted RCHEs in Kowloon East district.
Hong Kong Association of Gerontology
The Hong Kong Association of Gerontology (HKAG) was founded in 1986 by a group of professionals including geriatricians, nurses, social workers, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, clinical psychologists and academics. The aims of HKAG are to promote the discipline of gerontology and to improve the quality of aged care services in Hong Kong. Moreover, HKAG seeks to promote the advancement of health care, social services and long-term care for older people in Hong Kong; and the furtherance of studies and education in gerontology.
The project aims to enhance the capacity of the Residential Care Homes for the Elderly (RCHEs) to be more willing, ready and able to provide quality palliative and end-of-life care in long term care settings. In the long run, the model of care could be widely adopted in all Government subvented Care-and-Attention Homes in Hong Kong with appropriate policy and funding.
Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui Welfare Council Limited
Established in 1966, the Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui Welfare Council (the Welfare Council) has been providing multifaceted services to individuals across all ages and socioeconomic backgrounds in line with its service philosophy, “Personalised Service, Holistic Care”, to “Transform Lives” so they may be “Lived in Abundance”. With over 200 service units and member agencies across the territory, in Macau and Guangzhou, the Welfare Council has established a comprehensive and close-knit service network. As a branch of the Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui, the Welfare Council walks in the footsteps of the Son of Peace, working hand in hand with churches and schools to deliver love and care to the local community, and to reach out to international communities in a collective effort to build a loving society. In 2013, the Council completed the legal procedure for its incorporation. The Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui Welfare Council Limited is now registered under the Companies Ordinance. This new milestone forms the foundation upon which social expectations towards the corporate governance of the Council will be met in the many years to come.
The team aims to enhance the capacity of the Residential Care Homes for the Elderly (RCHEs) in Kowloon West district to be more willing, ready and able to provide quality palliative and end-of-life care in long term care settings. In the long run, the model of care could be widely adopted in all Government subvented Care-and-Attention Homes in Hong Kong with appropriate policy and funding.
S K H Holy Carpenter Church District Elderly Community Centre
Since 1954, the S K H Holy Carpenter Church (HC) had started providing social services, attending to the social needs of different groups of people in Hung Hom. Cherishing the spirit of “To serve, Not to be Served”, the Church embarked on different kinds of social services to meet the ever growing and changing needs of the community. For instance, the Church established the S.K.H Holy Carpenter Church Community Centre and the S.K.H Holy Carpenter Church District Elderly Community Centre in 1975 and 1980 respectively. The social service will continue to strive their best in serving people in need in the society, especially in Hunghom, To Kwa Wan, Whampoa and Kowloon City areas.
The “Hospice in Family” Home Care Support Services seeks to provide end-of-life home care service for terminal patients and their family members, in order to preserve their dignity and to improve their quality of life. This project also aims to raise public awareness of end-of-life home care service, and to create a positive attitude towards death.
St James’ Settlement
St James’ Settlement (SJS) was established in 1949 and is a multi-social service agency which provides high quality comprehensive services to meet the diverse needs of our society, to enable the individuals to help themselves and to help others, and to build an integrated and harmonious community. SJS will strive to continuously improve the services to become a center of excellence and pioneer in social service in order to respond appropriately and timely to the changing needs of our society and to meet and exceed the needs of our service recipients.
The Project aims at providing community end-of-life care to life-threatening illness patients and their families, so as to support patients staying at home as their preferred place of care.
The Hong Kong Society for Rehabilitation
The Hong Kong Society for Rehabilitation (HKSR) was established in 1959. Through rehabilitation services for persons with disabilities and older persons, we advocate an inclusive society. HKSR aspires to be an organization of excellence in barrier free transport, chronic and long term care and holistic rehabilitation.
“Life Rainbow” End-of-Life Care Services provides quality community end-of-life care to people with late stage chronic illness and their family members who live in Hong Kong East. It adopts collaborative approach and aims at fostering care partnership with hospitals, family members, patients’ self-help groups, professional and neighborhood volunteers to support families in need, so as to create a holistic community end-of-life care service model.
The Salvation Army
The Salvation Army is an international Christian church and charity working in 134 countries and areas, and has been serving Hong Kong for over 90 years since 1930. With the commitment of transforming lives, caring for people and making disciples, we are currently operating over 80 social services units, 35 schools and 2 education centres, 17 corps (churches) and 1 outpost, and 15 Family Stores in Hong Kong and Macau. There are offices in Yunnan Province and Sichuan Province for community development in these provinces.
This project aims to enhance the capacity of the Residential Care Homes for the Elderly (RCHEs) to be more willing, ready and able to provide quality palliative and end-of-life care in long term care settings. In the long run, the model of care could be widely adopted in all Government subvented Care-and-Attention Homes in Hong Kong with appropriate policy and funding.
Tung Wah Group of Hospitals
The establishment of TWGHs could be traced back to Kwong Fook I-tsz, a small temple built at Tai Ping Shan Street on the Hong Kong Island in 1851 for people to house the spirit-tablets of their ancestors. As the temple was gradually taken by the sick and the destitute as a refuge, it became reeked with dirt and eventually aroused the concern of the Government and the public. Hence, a group of earnest Chinese community leaders proposed to raise funds and build a hospital in the neighbourhood. In 1869, $115,000 and a piece of land at Po Yan Street, Sheung Wan were granted by the then Governor MacDonnell. The first Chinese hospital in Hong Kong was finally built in 1870 through the enactment of the Tung Wah Hospital Ordinance. Prior to the establishment of the hospital, a temporary clinic was set up by the founding Directors near the hospital premises to offer free medical treatment to those in need. The hospital, named “Tung Wah Hospital”, was constructed in 1872 and started to provide free Chinese medicine services to the sick and the poor. It hence laid a foundation of the charitable work of TWGHs. To meet the imperative demand for medical services resulting from the rapid growth of population, Kwong Wah Hospital in Yaumatei, Kowloon and Tung Wah Eastern Hospital in Causeway Bay, Hong Kong were built and commenced operation in 1911 and 1929 respectively. In 1931, the 3 hospitals were amalgamated into the “Tung Wah Group of Hospitals” under the management of one Board of Directors. Apart from medical care, TWGHs had been offering various social welfare and education services ever since its beginnings.
This project aims to enhance the capacity of the Residential Care Homes for the Elderly (RCHEs) in New Territories East district to be more willing, ready and able to provide quality palliative and end-of-life care in long term care settings. In the long run, the model of care could be widely adopted in all Government subvented Care-and-Attention Homes in Hong Kong with appropriate policy and funding.

