Caregivers of the elderly, people with physical disabilities or people with mental health shoulder a variety of burdens every day. In addition to taking care of the daily life, diet, physical, and mental health of those around them with special needs, the caregivers must also deal with all life's trivial matters as well as their own emotions. The pressure they are under is difficult for outsiders to comprehend.
"CAREREPS Platform" is a network of social organizations. Its members include: Baptist Oi Kwan Social Service, Sai Kung District Community Centre, Kowloon City Baptist Church Social Services, Hong Kong Federation of Women's Centres, The Tsung Tsin Mission of Hong Kong Social Service, Tai Po Baptist Church Social Service, Woopie Club, Dialogue In The Dark (HK) Foundation, Yan Oi Tong, Building Healthy Kowloon City Association Limited, Wofoo Social Enterprises, Hong Kong PHAB Association and The Mental Health Association of Hong Kong.
Project Process
The "CAREREPS Platform" was established by social welfare organizations, hoping to help caregivers recognize their own identity, promote public awareness about the needs of caregivers and support the community in identifying invisible caregivers. It also delivers essential support and related care services information for different types of caregivers. To understand the needs and pain points of caregivers in order to design the platform that suit the caregivers most, J.C. DISI organized co-creation workshops for social welfare organizations and caregivers.
The workshops used interactive approaches to identify the needs of different types of caregivers. After extensive discussions, we enhanced the design of "CAREREPS Platform" services to better provide tailored services and information according to the diverse needs of caregivers by incorporating the user feedbacks. The platform has been upgraded from a one-way information dissemination website to a membership login system. By registering as members, caregivers can not only repeatedly access to customized information and activities, but also sign up for services or activities more easily. This upgrade of the website brings convenience to the caregivers, and thus increase their motivation to connect with or integrate into the community.
Core Principles:
The core principles of “CAREREPS platform” adopts the Carer EPiC model in UK, including:
- Carers Roles & Needs are identified
- Provide appropriate support for carers
- Support the cargivers to have a life outside caring
- Eliminate the disadvantages or discrimination related to their caregiving role
- Stakeholders are fully engaged in the services
- Carers are empowered with their caring knowledge & experience
Three Major Functions:
- Assist caregivers to access helpful information on navigating caring
- Encourage caregivers to participate in different activities to give themselves a break and stay in touch with other carers while practising social self-care
- Partners with equipment stores, cafes and other community entities to offer unique discounts for platform members
Key Features:
- By taking a quick and simple quiz, caregivers were identified what type of caregiver they are, enabling them to obtain information and services based on their needs.
- Keep caregivers informed of the latest policy information and issues that arouse social concerns.
- Provide staff of the member organizations with the navigation data of the platform to plan for the activities and services for caregivers
Categories of Caregivers Served by “CAREREPS Platform”:
The Platform has over 3,500 caregiver members in different categories, including:
- Caregivers of the elderly
- Caregivers of individuals with physical disabilities
- Caregivers of individuals with intellectual disabilities
- Caregivers of individuals with mental health issues
- Caregivers of individuals with addiction, and caregivers of individuals with chronic illnesses.
- Caregivers of children with special educational needs (SEN)
- Caregivers of individuals with chronic illnesses
“CAREREPS Platform” website: https://carereps.org/
