I am Elane Siu, currently a Home Care Nurse at the Jockey Club Home for Hospice in Shatin. As someone who has worked in geriatric and palliative care for over 20 years, I have noticed an overall shift in recent years. In the past, it was widely accepted that the hospital was the final stop for the terminally ill in Hong Kong. Interestingly, since the start of the pandemic, I have had more and more people ask me the same question - “Is it possible to die at home?”
Dying at home allows terminally ill patients to spend their final days in a familiar environment, surrounded by the warmth and love of their family. Those who choose to pass away at home would need to make the necessary arrangements with their own doctor in advance. Under Hong Kong law, any terminal ill patient who dies at home must be attended to by a Hong Kong registered doctor within 14 days before his/her death. Therefore, our visiting doctor would reassess the illness condition of the