That point had come for the Chen family. Four months after Mrs Chen’s stroke, her speech had not returned and confusion left her struggling to recognize friends and family. She even battled to sit upright in a chair. Her husband, after a valiant effort to care for her, knew it was beyond what he could provide.
The answer came in the form of the Po Leung Kuk elderly home in Tung Chung, who took in Mrs Chen as a resident. Visitors are struck by the compassion that emanates from staff and nurses at the home, who provide this haven. Mr Chen, visiting each day, saw the nurses work gently with his wife, encouraging her to find new ways to manage her life. They taught her basic sign language. They helped strengthen her muscle system. Today, she recognizes the voices of her husband and the staff. Smiling and gesturing to them, she demonstrates that she can even sit up on her own.
It was this need for care among Hong Kong’s elderly that birthed this particular home. As the staff sought to furnish it, however, they faced a challenge. “We didn’t want to purchase a lot of cheap, identical furniture,” said the director. “We wanted it to feel like home for our residents.” That’s where Crossroads could help! The elderly home’s directors visited our site and spent hours with colour swatches and lists, carefully choosing sets of tables, chairs and decorations that they used to create themed rooms, corners of comfort and community. They created a nursing home that, remarkably, truly does feel like home.
“Around 40% of the furniture, and 90% or our office equipment, is from [Crossroads],” said the director.
That meant, she concluded, they could spend more money on medical support for the residents. It is precisely the kind of Hong Kong support Crossroads loves to provide.
