DFS Application Code: HPDFS-AHRC
HD Application Code: HDAHRC
The health care manpower in Hong Kong is in shortage to meet the service demand. This programme covers essential health care and rehabilitation knowledge, focusing on the following pillars: nursing, occupational therapy and physiotherapy. The primary goal of training allied and auxiliary healthcare workers is to alleviate the manpower shortage in elderly and rehabilitation care services and to maintain the quality of patient care. With a foundation knowledge in health sciences and applied skills in allied health, students may join the healthcare workforce or progress to further studies in the related fields.
Programme Aims and Features
- Equips students with a wide range of knowledge and practical skills required to provide nursing and rehabilitation care for older adults and people with disabilities at the paraprofessional level;
- Provides a sound foundation for practice with the development of knowledge and competent skill sets to work collaboratively with allied health or rehabilitation professionals within contemporary practice;
- Provides a comprehensive education on body systems, physical and mental health, psychology and communication skills and their applications to rehabilitation strategies, family functioning and social care practices;
- All specialism courses involve skill practices. In each academic year, students will be placed with different institutions or healthcare facilities for experiential learning placement;
- A purpose-built skills laboratory is set up for students to acquire comprehensive skills in physiotherapy, occupational therapy, nursing care and other health-related learning activities. This Rehabilitation Skills Laboratory aims at facilitating students' learning in the conduction of practical assessments, patient care and rehabilitation activities.
Experiential Study
Students will be attached to different host organisations during a 3-week experiential learning placement that aims to offer students the opportunity to apply the acquired theoretical knowledge and practical skills to a work environment.
- 1-week job-shadowing with healthcare professionals such as occupational therapists, physiotherapists and nurses, to observe and understand their scope and roles.
- Spending a week in an elderly service unit and a rehabilitation service unit respectively, where students will support health and rehabilitation care practices under supervision by interacting with real cases and reporting to professionals.
- Host organisations include the rehabilitation and elderly service units under Po Leung Kuk, Oasis Group nursing homes and the day care service units under Woopie Club.
Opportunities for Further Studies
Graduates are eligible to apply for Bachelor’s degree programmes offered by local universities.
The list below shows the degree programmes that our graduates may apply for further studies*:
UGC-funded Universities
- The University of Hong Kong
Bachelor of Nursing - The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Bachelor of Nursing
BSc Community Health Practice
BSc Gerontology
BSc Public Health - The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
BSc (Hons) Nursing
BSc (Hons) Scheme in Rehabilitation Sciences - Occupational Therapy
BSc (Hons) Scheme in Rehabilitation Sciences - Physiotherapy
BA (Hons) Applied Ageing Studies and Service Management
Graduates are also eligible to apply for the below degree programmes offered by other institutions:
Other Local Institutions
- Hong Kong Metropolitan University
BSc (Hons) Physiotherapy
BSocSc (Hons) Psychology and Mental Health - Tung Wah College
BSc (Hons) Physiotherapy
BSc (Hons) Applied Gerontology - Saint Francis University
Bachelor of Nursing
BSc (Hons) Physiotherapy - Hong Kong Baptist University – School of Continuing Education
Bachelor of Nursing (Honours)
Overseas Universities
- Sheffield Hallam University (UK)
BSc (Hons) Physiotherapy
BSc (Hons) Occupational Therapy - Oxford Brookes University (UK)
BSc (Hons) Physiotherapy
BSc (Hons) Occupational Therapy - Coventry University (UK)
BSc (Hons) Physiotherapy
BSc (Hons) Occupational Therapy - University of Northumbria at Newcastle (UK)
BSc (Hons) Occupational Therapy - University of Plymouth (UK)
BSc (Hons) Physiotherapy - University of Brighton (UK)
BSc (Hons) Physiotherapy
*The above list is not exhaustive and only shows some of the examples.
Summer Crash Courses
To further equip our students to join the healthcare workforce, we may organise health worker training courses and registration, metalwork or woodwork courses for Year 1 students during summer break. Student participation is voluntary.
Career Prospects
Our graduates are prepared to be healthcare paraprofessionals; they may join the local healthcare industry as occupational therapy assistants, physiotherapy assistants and rehabilitation therapy assistants, in providing direct care and professional services to patients and individuals who require rehabilitation.
