Chau, Mei-lan Li

“Mother is afraid of staying at the hospital because she doesn’t speak English. She has had misunderstandings and communication problems with mainstream medical staff. Once, while being transported to the hospital in an ambulance, she looked all around for me with tears streaming down her cheeks and felt so helpless,” says 58-year-old Chau Yok-wan, a dedicated full-time caregiver to her mother Mei-lan.

In January 2006, 95-year-old Mei-lan was diagnosed with colon cancer and was referred by the Community Care Access Centre to Yee Hong’s Cancer and Palliative Care Services, which provide special in-home service for terminally ill patients. Since then, she has been under the care of Dr. Chin K. Chung.

“Dr. Chung is very caring to mother. At his weekly visit, he talks to her, asks about her bowel movement, checks her swollen feet and asks if she wants anything. Because my mother’s veins have become very fine, he uses a special needle to take blood samples so it won’t hurt as much. He also applied to the Ministry of Health on her behalf so mother can receive free medication to reduce bleeding.”

At present, Mei-lan is not undergoing cancer therapy but receives blood transfusion every three weeks. “Mother once asked me if she could die at home. I made the promise and we both cried. We don’t have a good command of English and so we are not aware of the resources available. Yee Hong has given us the valuable support that we desperately need. I feel very grateful that mother can walk the last mile of her life in dignity and good care.”