Biography
Mr Chi Ho LAU is a registered occupational therapist in Hong Kong. He is the founder of Hong Kong Senior Rehabilitation Service, providing community based occupational therapy (OT) service to elderly in Hong Kong and China.
Mr Lau was graduated from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University and completed his master study in Behavioral Health in the University of Hong Kong. He has been working in the Hospital Authority and Not-For-Profit Organizations in Hong Kong, providing OT services to elderly living in hospital, care and attention home and day care center. Throughout the working experience, he found that community-based OT services should be advocated to enhance the health and safety awareness of elderly and stakeholders. In 2015, he started his own services and actively explore services model to promote health in elderly.
Mr Lau is actively involved in the promotion of OT profession. He is the executive committee of the Hong Kong Occupational Therapy Association and the board member of the Hong Kong Institute of Occupational Therapy.
Lau, C.
Paper
Beyond Housing: Practice of Community Occupational Therapy Services in Hong Kong
Occupational therapy (OT) focuses on Activities of Daily Living (ADL), Work and Leisure aspect of clients. Apart from services to those having long term illness such as dementia, stroke and cardiovascular disease, it is important to empower the care givers, at-risk group and stakeholders about the importance of health and wellness.
Majority of registered occupational therapists in Hong Kong is working either in the Hospital Authority and Not-For-Profit Organization. Service provided mainly focused on secondary and tertiary level of care and primary care provision of OT service remains inadequate. Private occupational therapy service, especially those for elderly and in community, is still under development. It is a challenge for general public to access community occupational therapy service in a timely manner. With the ageing population and changing needs of elderly, certain OT practitioners is exploring new ways to enhance the living standards of elderly in Hong Kong.
In the session, the speaker will introduce the history of OT development in Hong Kong and current situation, the service model of private OT practitioner in community context including health education and promotion, disease prevention, direct case consultation and corporate training. Case illustrations will be shown about the therapeutic process in community practice. Opportunities and challenges on future development of community based OT will be discussed.
