PolyU Department of Rehabilitation Sciences launches “Better Ageing in Community Campaign”, applying AI technology to assess the fall risk of 2,500 elderly in the community

According to the Department of Health, in Hong Kong approximately one in five community-dwelling elderly individuals aged 65 or above fall every year, posing significant health risks to themselves and placing a potential burden on public health resources. To alleviate the pressure on the public healthcare system, the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) has partnered with several local community organisations to launch the “Better Ageing in Community Campaign”. The Campaign aims to conduct fall risk screenings for 2,500 elderly individuals to identify those at higher risk of falling, using artificial intelligence (AI) technology developed by the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, and provide them with fall prevention training, translating PolyU research achievements into practical benefits for the community.

Mr Fletch CHAN, Commissioner for Rehabilitation of the Labour and Welfare Bureau of the HKSAR Government; Mr Tommy CHEUNG, Executive Council Member and Legislative Council Member; Mr LEE Chun-keung, Legislative Council Member; Dr Roy CHUNG, Honorary Chairman of the PolyU Court; Prof. Ben YOUNG, Vice President (Student and Global Affairs) ; and Prof. Marco PANG, Head of the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, together with district officers and representatives from PolyU, jointly officiated the Campaign commencement ceremony. During the event, the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences also signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the co-organising local community partners to establish a framework for future community work.

Mr Fletch Chan said, “To promote the use of technology in the social welfare sector, the Government allocated $1 billion in 2018 to set up the Innovation and Technology Fund for Application in Elderly and Rehabilitation Care to subsidise eligible elderly and rehabilitation service units to introduce technology products such as fall prevention equipment.  So far, about $750 million has been approved.  In 2024-25, the Government injected additional $1 billion into the Fund and will expand its scope to cover gerontechnology products suitable for household use, with a view to benefitting more elderly persons.”

Prof. Ben Young stated, “For more than 80 years, PolyU has been committed to innovating and providing quality higher education, bringing positive and powerful impact to the community. We have cultivated generations of students who have made outstanding contributions in the society. We aspire to be a leading university in pioneering knowledge transfer and in providing quality whole-person education, contributing to Hong Kong, the Nation and the world. It is our aspiration to bring meaningful changes to the lives of individuals and communities. This campaign reflects our mission.”

The Better Ageing in Community Campaign aims to promote healthier ageing, with a particular emphasis on the importance of fall prevention among the elderly. Utilising AI technology developed by the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences and other tools, the experienced research and teaching team will supervise physiotherapy and occupational therapy students who volunteer to conduct comprehensive assessments for 2,500 elderly individuals aged 60 or above. The assessments will focus on fall risk. Based on the results, the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences will invite those identified as being at moderate risk to participate in rehabilitation training, while those identified as being at high risk will be referred to District Health Centres for follow-up interventions.

During the initial phase of the campaign, eligible elderly individuals will be recruited through the co-organising local community partners, with plans being made to expand the initiative to other districts in Hong Kong. The Department of Rehabilitation Sciences will analyse and compile the collected data, with the aim of assisting the government in optimising primary healthcare policies in Hong Kong.

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