A hotline offering support for carers in Hong Kong received more than 370 calls on its first day of operation, with most users seeking help for the disabled.
Hotline operator the Tung Wah Group of Hospitals on Wednesday said the response was “stronger than expected”.
“Ninety per cent of the calls were about providing information and managing carers’ stress,” the group’s division head of community services Low Chen-yang told a radio programme a day after the launch of the service.
He added that hotline staff were trained to attend to distressed callers in person if emergencies were identified.
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The 24-hour call centre, comprising at least 30 lines manned by trained staff, marked one of the measures targeting carers, as laid out by Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu in his policy address last year.
The service is expected to log more than 300,000 calls annually, with the Social Welfare Department monitoring performance.
According to Low, carers called to look for information on how to apply for subsidies and access to services provided by both the public and private healthcare sectors.
“Many also called to lament about their heavy burden, as well as their need to have a listening ear, and to be supported and comforted,” he noted.
Low said most of the calls were from target groups, with the bulk coming from carers of the disabled. Those related to the elderly came second, involving care for aged parents or partners of similar ages.
The operator also said it had received a small number of calls related to children with special needs, with one case referred on Tuesday to a district support centre for persons with disabilities.
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Low said the group had set a 24-hour target for references of cases to other service providers, with follow-ups on the next day.
He added it could take social workers 30 minutes to share service details, and one to two hours to understand callers’ situations and give advice.
He said staff were trained to be alert to the mental state of callers, and those identified as in distress would be attended to in person within an hour.
“There are many cases where 999 emergency services may not be able to help as mental state deterioration may not involve dangerous situations,” Low said.
“Social workers at the site can accompany carers and be a listener. They provide additional options and emotional support … If we can do this in critical moments, the situation can be improved.”
On complaints of certain inadequacies, such as users claiming staff were unfamiliar with information, Low said the operator would review conversation records and seek to improve service and training.
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Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun Yuk-han on the same radio show voiced hope the stepped-up measures could strengthen support for carers, following a family tragedy in which two mentally disabled, middle-aged brothers died after their mother was sent to hospital.
Sun said a social worker at the hospital had learned the two siblings had self-care abilities, adding that staff had tried their best and there was always room for improvement.
The two brothers, aged 53 and 55, were found dead last Friday in their Sau Mau Ping home following reports of a strong odour from the flat.
The Hospital Authority on Monday said a younger sibling of the two brothers had been in frequent contact with staff, and the duo were considered to have been capable of going out alone, feeding themselves and taking care of their mother once she was discharged.