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Hong Kong carer influencers share experiences on social media to support fellow carers

Carers in Hong Kong are using social media to share their experiences, offer advice, review products and information, and lift up others

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Merida Cheung has been a secondary carer to her 101-year-old grandmother for seven years. She shares her experiences online as a “carefluencer”. Photo: instagram.com/babegranny.hk

For seven years, Merida Cheung has been a secondary carer to her 101-year-old grandmother, Stella, who was diagnosed with mid- to late-stage dementia in 2018.

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Cheung’s parents and domestic helper are her grandmother’s primary carers. The family lives in Yuen Long, in Hong Kong’s New Territories.

There is a great deal of satisfaction in taking care of someone in need, but there are also many struggles. In 2019, Cheung started a private Facebook page, facebook.com/babegranny, dedicated to her caring experience. Its Chinese name translates to “my family has a big baby”.

When a friend asked to share specific posts with someone who might find her caring advice helpful, she made it public.

Merida Cheung takes care of her grandmother Stella Yeung who is suffering from dementia. She documents her experiences on her Facebook page. Photo: Edmond So
Merida Cheung takes care of her grandmother Stella Yeung who is suffering from dementia. She documents her experiences on her Facebook page. Photo: Edmond So

“I never expected that the page would attract more than 4,000 followers, or that I’d make so many new friends from it,” says Cheung, who is known as “Man-man” in local carer circles.

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“People enjoy reading my posts about my grandma – not just the positive stories but also the challenges that my parents and I face as carers.

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