Elderly get their appetite back with soft power

Adelyn Lau

Specially-prepared foods including radish, fish balls and mooncakes were shown in a care food expo supported by the Hong Kong Jockey Club yesterday.

The expo held in Tau Wo Hau Estate showcased prepacked soft meals produced by nine exhibitors, including Caramall, Cultural Homes, Fairwood, Haven of Hope Christian Service, My Care Healthcare, Mitsui, Po Leung Kuk, St James' Settlement's Graceful Meal and Captain Soft Meal, giving the elderly an opportunity to taste the samples.

Simone Li Ho-sum, Captain Soft Meal's community relations officer, said that they have hosted over 110 "Sensory Restaurants on Wheels" events in various elderly care homes since 2019, serving the foods to over 2,800 elders with dementia and swallowing difficulties.

In these events, care homes were transformed into nostalgic teahouses complete with decorative props.

Staff dressing up as traditional waiters served visually appealing soft meals shaped like dim sum, siu mai and har gau.

At the expo, caregivers and food ambassadors from the project "Jockey Club InnoPower: Food for Love" recalled their experience in caring for the elderly with dysphagia.

Project ambassador Christina Wong, a 72-year-old retired nurse, said conventional pureed meals were often unappetizing, resulting in malnutrition and dehydration among those with swallowing difficulties.

Such experience motivated Wong to join the project to improve the meals.

"Providing visually appealing soft meals fosters a sense of respect," she said. "Preparing these meals allows the elderly to enjoy eating and regain their dignity at the dining table."

According to the Hong Kong Society for the Aged, more than 100,000 elderly in the city have swallowing difficulties and require pureed or minced meals.

A 2019 Social Enterprise Business Centre survey also showed that nearly 70 percent of caregivers wished to see more prepackaged soft meal options.

Although many caregivers wanted to prepare at home refined soft meals that closely resemble original foods in appearance and taste so as to stimulate the appetites of elderly people with dysphagia, they lack the knowledge and skills.

The Jockey Club-backed project offers support to soft meal courses, volunteer services and health seminars.

Another care food expo is scheduled to be held in December.