The 3rd End-of-Life Care Symposium, jointly organized by the Department of Innovative Social Work of City University of Macau, Pou Tai Integrated Service Center for the Elderly, and Kiang Wu Nursing College of Macau, was recently held at the Taipa Campus. The symposium was attended by experts and scholars including Ung Choi Kun, vice-chairman of the University Council, Lixian Jin, dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Hung Oi Ming, general director of Pou Tai Integrated Service Center for the Elderly, and NG, Wai I, vice-president of Kiang Wu Nursing College of Macau. The event attracted nearly 300 participants, including experts and scholars from Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macao, as well as representatives from local social service organizations and CityU students. In-depth discussions were conducted on topics such as advance care directives, medical decision-making, and end-of-life care planning.
The symposium aimed to public raise awareness to end-of-life issues and advance care directives. The previous two editions primarily focused on policy and legislation in Macao, exploring the significance of advance care directives from various perspectives including government, healthcare, psychology, and social work. In this edition, the symposium delved into topics such as advance care directives, medical decision-making, and practical interventions in end-of-life care. It aimed to facilitate exchanges and cooperation in end-of-life care services, and to promote the development and practice of end-of-life care.
In her speech, Dean Lixian Jin talked about how the topic of end-of-life care sounded heavy, but it was a natural subject that everyone inevitably faced from birth; therefore, public’s attitudes towards end-of-life care determined how they enjoyed every moment of their lives. She mentioned that the harmony within families, scholarly research, societal care, and government support had an impact on people’s physical and mental well-being and life experiences; this symposium reflected the collaboration and support from various sectors.
Both General Director Hung Oi Ming and Vice-President Ng Wai I expressed their wills to continue organizing similar events in the future to provide an academic platform for professionals in the field of end-of-life care, which would further promote the development and improvement of end-of-life care.
During the keynote speeches and panel discussions, experts and scholars shared the latest developments and experiences in advance care directives and practical interventions in their respective regions. Arnold Leung, president of the HK Life and Death Studies Association, shared the journey and challenges of advance care directives policy legislation in Hong Kong. Liu Shu-Juan, an expert in long-term care services from Taiwan, shared policies related to hospice and palliative care, patient’s rights, and advance healthcare planning in Taiwan. Dr. Li Ying, director of the Department of Geriatric Cardiology at Shenzhen Second People’s Hospital, shared the how Shenzhen promoted the advance directives and advance care planning from a medical perspective. Prof. Zhu Mingxia from Kiang Wu Nursing College of Macau and Lei Lai Iong, Pou Tai Integrated Service Center for the Elderly, shared their personal experiences, starting from the perspectives of love and filial piety, and aimed to encourage participants to actively discuss end-of-life issues with their parents. Assistant Prof. Choy Yuen Ling from the Department of Innovative Social Work at City University of Macau shared the findings of a research survey on advance care directives and end-of-life care in Macao.
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Participants also discussed how healthcare teams can collaborate with patients and their families to develop medical plans that align with the patients’ wills and values. Ethical and legal issues related to end-of-life care were explored, as well as how to provide comprehensive psychological, emotional, and social support.
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In addition, participants also explored ethical and legal issues, acknowledging that end-of-life care was a global issue that required collaboration across different sectors and the sharing of experiences. They hoped that through the symposium, experts and scholars could learn from each other, collaborate, and increase societal awareness of providing quality end-of-life care. Attendees and students expressed profound benefits from the symposium and stated their intention to apply what they had learned in practice, aiming to provide better end-of-life care services.
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