Media

HKU Department of Social Work and Social Administration to hold Palliative Social Work Satellite Symposium 2015

06 Nov 2015

The Department of Social Work and Social Administration of the University of Hong Kong will hold the Palliative Social Work Satellite Symposium 2015 on November 10, 2015 (Tuesday).

According to Quality of Death Index Report, published by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) in October 2015, Hong Kong has dropped two places globally to 22^nd, from 20^th in the last report, behind Taiwan and Singapore, and was overtaken by Japan and South Korea in the region. One of the main scoring criteria in the report is the quality of palliative care services. There is apparently great room for improvement despite of decades of service development. This symposium provides an excellent opportunity for further discussions.

With the theme “Harmony in Diversity: Special Foci in Palliative Social Work”, the half-day program covers topics related to the current situation of palliative care services in Hong Kong and Singapore, special care for couples facing palliative care and the latest local researches, as well as applications of arts-based activities in bereavement counselling, and experience sharing by frontline palliative social workers.

The Symposium is organized by the HKU Department of Social Work and Social Administration in collaboration with Chapter on Medical Social Service Hong Kong Social Workers Association, HKU Centre on Behavioral Health, HKU Centre for Cancer Research, and HKU Sau Po Centre on Ageing and is fully sponsored by the Li Ka Shing Foundation "Heart of Gold" Hong Kong Hospice Service Program.

Members of the media are cordially invited to cover the event with details as below:

Date: November 10, 2015 (Tuesday)
Time: 9:00am to 1:00pm (Registration starts at 8:30am)
Venue: Auditorium, 1/F, the Boys’ and Girls’ Clubs Association of Hong Kong, 3 Lockhart Road, Wanchai, Hong Kong
Language: Cantonese

Guests of Honour:

• Professor Terry Lum
  (Head of Department, Henry G Leong Professor in Social Work and Social Administration, Department of Social Work and Social Administration, HKU)

Symposium Programme:

Session 1: Quality Care to Special Losses

Bridging the gap: How Palliative Social Work Contribute to Healthcare Services
Prof. Cecilia L.W. Chan
(Professor, Department of Social Work and Social Administration, The University of Hong Kong)
Dr. Bobo H.P. Lau
(Post-Doctoral Fellow, Department of Social Work and Social Administration, The University of Hong Kong)

Learning from Diversity: Hospice and Palliative Care in Singapore and Hong Kong
Dr. Andy H.Y. Ho
(Assistant Professor, Division of Psychology, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore)

March together: Couples Coping with Cancer in Palliative Care Settings
Ms. Amy Yan
(Centre Supervisor, CancerLink Support Centre, Wong Tai Sin, Hong Kong Cancer Fund)

Session 2: Creative Mindsets in End-of-Life Care

Art of Healing: Use of Expressive Arts for Bereaved People
Dr. Joshua K.M. Nan
(Assistant Professor, Department of Social Work and Social Administration, The University of Hong Kong)

Crying in Secret: Dealing with Disenfranchised Grief
Ms. Agnes Tin
(Honorary Lecturer, Centre on Behavioral Health, The University of Hong Kong)

The Social Work Practice of Palliative Care: A Frontline Perspective
Mr. Stephen C.K. Shiu
(Assistant Social Work Officer, Hospice Centre, Department of Clinical Oncology, Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital & Part-time Lecturer, Department of Applied Social Sciences, City University of Hong Kong)

For more details, please contact Ms. Amy Choi (Centre on Behavioral Health, HKU; Tel: 2831 5163; email: amychoi@hku.hk), or Mr. Johnny Chan (Centre on Behavioral Health, HKU; Tel: 2831 5158; email: chankcj@hku.hk).