Sunshine strolls are a real tonic for recovering patients
On a warm April day, a group set off from the Sheung Shui Post Office and walked slowly to Shek Wu Hui Playground. The path led from the Liu Ming Tak Tong with two large lanterns to the Tung Hing Tong in Po Sheung Tsuen, where the orange sun shined on its brick-red walls. The group took a break and then walked slowly to the North District Health Centre (DHC) Express.
“The atmosphere was amazing, and the group was so happy, laughing and joking,” recalls Yuki Lee, Assistant Social Work Officer of North District Hospital (NDH) Health Resource Centre. “For three years, the patients had rarely gone out because they were worried about the epidemic. They all stayed at home and suffered from more physical pains. Now they can finally meet up with fellow patients.”
With the epidemic subsiding, the NDH Health Resource Centre, in cooperation with the New Territories East Cluster Breast Care Centre, organised the first outdoor activity for patient support group in three years, arranging a tour of Sheung Shui for breast cancer survivors. Yuki explains that although webinars and workshops were held from time to time during the epidemic, the one-sided format was not as warm as face-to-face interaction.
The 90-minute tour was mainly on flat ground with plenty of shade and resting points along the route, consisting of story sharing sessions and activities as well. Anson Wong, Registered Nurse (Medicine) of NDH designed the route and says it aimed to share positive energy with the participants as well as showing them local landmarks and teaching them more about the community.
“I hope that through the guided tours, I can bring a positive message to ease the emotions of patients and their carers,” Anson explains. “When we walked Shek Wu Hui, for instance, I described how the residents of Sheung Shui rebuilt the market after a fire in the 1950s left it in ruins. The stories were inspiring, and the tour ended with a visit to the North DHC Express to promote primary care and give the participants a better understanding of community support services.”
It was the personal exchanges between the participants during the journey that made the tour particularly special. “The oral histories of the participants who shared their personal experiences were so fascinating. I am thinking of training them to set up their own guided tours to pass on their experiences and life wisdom and give them a sense of satisfaction from doing that,” Anson says.
The tour also gave the participants a much-missed taste of sunshine, breeze, birdsong, and the scent of flowers as they stepped out of their homes. “It was a good start to encouraging people to get out of their homes for a walk and get back to the exercise habits they had before the epidemic for the good of their bodies and minds,” Yuki reflects. The centre will next work with diabetic and respiratory patient groups to encourage those who are well enough to become more active. The tours will be arranged flexibly to cater for the different needs and capabilities of participants, with shorter routes and more resting places, for instance, for patients who need portable oxygen and cannot walk too far.
