What is community-based rehabilitation: an implication of the roles of community occupational therapists in Hong Kong.
With a world-wide trend in de-institutionalization and community care, community-based rehabilitation is considered to be more cost-effective in covering the needs of persons with chronic illness and their families. Since the inauguration of Hospital Authority in 1990, the emphasis on creating a 'seamless' health care system had further reinforced the significance of the development of community-based rehabilitation services in Hong Kong. This also implied the demand for community occupational therapy services as well as the emerging roles of the community occupational therapists. In 1994, Community Rehabilitation Network (CRN) was established as a pioneer service operated on the basis of community-based rehabilitation and with the development of community occupational therapy services. This paper will first review the demand and importance of community-based rehabilitation services, especially for persons with chronic illness in Hong Kong. With an understanding of this background, this paper then describes the goals and scopes of service as well as future development of community occupational therapists, with reference to its specific role in Community Rehabilitation Network.
Community Rehabilitation Network (CRN), the Hong Kong Society for Rehabilitation.
D Y
DY
Yin Chui