The story of wheat
"Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground
and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life,
and the man became a living being." (Bible Genesis 2:7)
The creator created the earth
Let everyone breath
Take the journey of life
weeping or laughing
worrying or being peaceful
fear or fearlessness
rough or beautiful
back and forth, walking and watching
Some people seems alright
some people are hard to let go,
some people feel deeply,
some people are overwhelmed
Not everyone can experience it one by one
When life comes to an end,
feel lonely and helpless,
confused and hopeless,
hesitant and uneasy
These feelings exist as they are,
not because they are without friends
just don't know how to have a real dialogue with myself
to become "the most real me"
"Peace in the Spirit" is to open your heart
Receive the beauty of life and
understand the depth of the heart
Facing the most direct feelings leads you to the secret place
Find the strength of peace in the spirit and cares your heart
Embrace deeply with others/self and gain faith and hope
Today you are old and sick
Here, in peace of mind, your weakness is covered
We will walk with you in one heart and have a rich experience no longer alone
Once upon a time you were born in an embrace and now you are still embraced
Towards the last mile full of hope
Leaving safely in the arms
"And the dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it." (Ecclesiastes 12:7)
Our Service
The Hong Kong Chinese Christian Churches Union Kwong Yum Care Home (Integrated Aged Care Service) is thankful for the sponsorship of Vera Ruttonjee Desai Charity Fund in the establishment of Vera Ruttonjee Desai Spiritual End of Life Care Centre, launched in April 2021.
Thanks for the sponsorship of the Tang's family and the S C Liang Charitable Trust ,starting in 2025, the center operates with a new collaborative payment and selection mechanism based on financial circumstances. This system will provide monthly subsidies for accommodation costs, offering six months of comprehensive spiritual end-of-life care services for elderly patients in the late stages who are facing financial difficulties.
In addition to providing holistic end-of-life care for the elderly with terminal illness, our service centre focuses on family-oriented care and the spiritual health of older adults and their families. Moreover, we are the pioneer to adopt Namaste Care™ approach in Care Homes in Hong Kong.
Let our patients be pampered with affection,
their souls be filled with faith, hope and love.
Service Characteristics
Professional Spiritual Care Team
stand by your side
Our Spiritual care team involves multi-disciplinary professionals, including geriatricians, nurses, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, Chinese medicine practitioners, social workers, pastors and expressive arts therapists, etc. Through comprehensive needs assessments, our spiritual care team will discuss and formulate an appropriate spiritual end-of-life care plans together with older adults and their family members. It increases the accuracy of priority care after diagnosis, reduces the number of hospital visits, reduces the side effects of multiple medications, and improves the overall quality of life for elderly with terminal illnesses.
Respect is an act of Love
“Advanced Care Planning” is the best gift for ourselves and our family members. With the assistance of our spiritual care team, a customized " Advanced Care Planning" would be prepared for older adults who are still mentally capable. It helps their families understand, listen to and respect personal values, goals, wishes and preferences of older adults. When older adults become mentally incapable, that they are unable to make their healthcare decisions and wishes for the end of life care, it helps ensure the best interests of older adults and guide the future care direction and treatment decisions. This act of love makes older adults feel being respected and at the same time, their family member experience lower levels of stress when they make any medical decisions for older adults. Thereby, the "Advance Care Planning" enhances a deeper mutual understanding and greater satisfaction.
Namaste Care™
Every sensory stimulus - hearing, touching, smelling, tasting, moving, seeing - is an important experience and memory in life. Through a peaceful environment, nature scent, tactile massage, and soft music, we convey the message of love and peace, soothe the inner anxiety of the elderly, reconnect with the inner him/her, and bring back the value of stability, love and affirmation in life.
Cherish the most memorable moment
Facing death can be as profound, intimate and precious as birth. Helping the elderly and their families to fulfill their wishes. We also encourage families to conduct life review with the elderly together and recognize their previous efforts and contribution, so that they can say love, thanks, apologies, goodbyes, and blessings to each other, releasing the burden from their deep hearts and leaving no regrets.
Life Celebration
Everyone is unique and worthy of recognition. We work with the elderly to design and organize his or her personalized life celebration ceremonies to empower the persons to prepare well for the death, farewell and finish the unfinished business before life-end. The process supports them to review their life achievement and contribution with their families or friends and express gratitude to each other. Love stays along the end of life. Meanwhile, we also facilitate family members in handing the meaningful funeral and after-death arrangement so as to show respect as well as an act of love.
Life Wisdom
The end of life of every single person can inspire the surrounding world with abundant life wisdom. Life is like wheat. A grain of wheat falls on the ground and dies, and its end can nuture more wheat in the future as nutrition.This means that even though an elderly person passes away, the wisdom of his/her life and the fruit of his/her life and death can inspire and guide his/her family to live a more meaningful and loving life.
Service targets and eligibility criteria
1. 60 years old or over
60 years’ old or over, subject to the ID card. In the case of special circumstances, it will be considered case by case.
2. Registered medical examination
It must be examined by a Hong Kong registered medical practitioner or geriatric specialist or psychiatrist to prove that the older adult is suitable for group life and also requires long-term care service.
3. Patients with irreversible terminal illness
For example: advanced cancer, end-stage lung diseases (including lung failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, emphysema), other organ failures (including heart, liver, and kidneys), recurrent pneumonia due to chronic dysphagia or prolonged bed rest, advanced dementia, etc.
4. Receiving allowance
Elderly is now receiving allowance under “Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) Scheme” or “Old Age Living Allowance” .
5. Receiving Subsidy from the Social Welfare Department
Now on the waiting list for Subsidized Long-term Care Services by the Social Welfare Department
Service Grants
After a professional evaluation by our center's specialized staff, the following grants are provided based on the individual's economic situation:
| Category | CSSA (Comprehensive Social Security Assistance) Recipients | OALA (Old Age Living Allowance) Recipients |
| Grants |
|
|
#Spiritual End of Life Care Centre reserves the final decision on the subsidy amount.
Additional Service Charges
This funding scheme does not include additional service charges and all additional service charges are charged at regular prices. An "accommodation service" deposit and “additional service charges” deposit and must be settled during admission.
Application Method and Procedures
Complete a form
Complete and submit an application form, a medicalexamination form, residential address proof and financial documents proof to us.
Assess
Upon receipt of the duly completed form, our staff will contact the applicant for an assessment within 3 working days.
Arrange admission
After the assessment conducted by our professional staff, we will notify the qualified applicant and guarantor to arrange for admission.
Contact Us
If you have any enquiries, please fill in the inquiry form.
First of all, we will understand the current situation of the elderly
and the expectations of the elderly and their families for this service.
Afterwards, we will reply to your inquiry by phone.
Or contact Social Services colleagues at (852) 2343-1331.Family sharing
A few days later, I received a phone call from Ms. Yu, who was planning to hold a birthday party for my father, and even made an appointment with our family to celebrate his birthday together through video. In addition, I would like to thank Ms. Maggie for cooking the carrotcake, my father's favourite, on that night. My father stayed here for two weeks, and passed away peacefully with dignity and with minimal pain, and with no regrets, thanks to your care. My father was the first resident of Spritial End of Life Care Centre and was blessed to spend his last days happily here. We hope that you can continue to help more people in need in the future, so that they can live a better life even in the last days of their lives.
