eREACH-HK for Caregiver

【Brain Companion】(REACH-HK) is Hong Kong's first evidence-based research program supporting family caregivers of patients with dementia, providing health risk assessment, personal counseling, and non-pharmacological treatment. The program adopts the counseling model and solutions established by Resources for Enhancing Alzheimer’s Caregiver Health II (REACH-II) in the United States. In 2011, the Department of Social Work and Social Administration of the University of Hong Kong, in conjunction with the Hong Kong Council of Social Service and the Kao Kuen Charitable Foundation, and with funding from Henderson Land Development Company Limited and the United Nations Foundation for the Support of the Disabled, and with the National Institute on Aging as a strategic partner, successfully translated and introduced the program to Hong Kong, adapting it to local conditions. The program covers five major areas: risk assessment, education, psychological and behavioral problem solving, mental and physical health, and social support. Intervention measures include 12 counseling sessions, with pre- and post-test assessments to evaluate its effectiveness. Research results show that the program effectively improves the health and quality of care for family caregivers, while reducing psychological and behavioral problems in patients. Between 2018 and 2020, the smart application version of "Brain Companion" (REACH-HK II) underwent research and pilot testing, emphasizing the integration of evidence-based research and technology to implement "people-centered" elderly care. By 2025, the Social Services Department of Yan Chai Hospital, with funding from the Social Welfare Department's Ageing and Rehabilitation Innovation Application Fund, will pilot the smart version of "Brain Companion" (eREACH-HK) in the community through a mobile application. Simultaneously, Yan Chai Hospital will collaborate with the Sau Po Centre for Ageing Studies, the Centre for Wisdom and Intelligence, and Kanhan Technology Co., Ltd. at the University of Hong Kong to customize and optimize eREACH-HK. With the support of the Kao Kuen Charitable Foundation, the platform will further enhance its services and personalized interventions for family caregivers, strengthening their self-efficacy, caregiving abilities, and well-being.