Mr Chris Sun, Secretary for Labour and Welfare of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (fifth from right), Mr Bryan Wong, Head of Charities (Positive Ageing & Elderly Care) of The Hong Kong Jockey Club (fourth from right), and Dr Miranda Lou, PolyU Executive Vice President (fifth from left), took a photo with Dr Eric Tam, Deputy Director of Jockey Club Smart Ageing Hub (fourth from left) and representatives of six strategic partners of the Real-life Hostels.Zoom In

To tackle the challenge of a continued ageing population in Hong Kong, PolyU has proposed a project named “Jockey Club Smart Ageing Hub” (JCSAH, the Project). The goal of the Project is to promote new gerontech and improve the service quality of residential care for the elderly. In December 2017, the project received a donation of HKD 47.95 million from The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust and was included in the list of the HKSAR Chief Executive’s Community Project.

 

The Project aims to establish a cross-disciplinary network, not only to raise public awareness about gerontech but also to connect stakeholders in the field of elderly care to facilitate the sharing and exchange of ideas for enhancing the quality of relevant products and services.

 

Some of the innovative technology solutions developed by the Project include gerontech solutions that fit the operational needs of the Real-life Hostels, such as the eNightLog bed-leaving monitoring system, smart toilet sensing system, and a detachable laser indicator for gait training, have been implemented in multiple hostels.

 

Recently, PolyU hosted the JCSAH Project Achievement Sharing Day, sharing with stakeholder the Project’s fruitful achievements thus far. Discussion was also held on the future development of Hong Kong’s gerontech ecosystem.

 

Mr Bryan Wong, Head of Charities (Positive Ageing & Elderly Care) of The Hong Kong Jockey Club, stated that the Project had made remarkable contributions to the promotion and development of gerontech, winning widespread societal recognition.

 

In the next three years, the Project team will continue to provide gerontech support to the community and collaborate with 11 self-financing residential care homes for the elderly operated by small-to-medium NGOs. The aim is to create more intelligent residential care homes, further develop the elderly care industry and promote wider adoption of gerontech in the community in light of the challenges posed by an ageing population.

 

The six-year effort of JCSAH to promote the application of local gerontechnology has produced fruitful results

Collaborated with six non-governmental organisations to set up “Real-life Hostels” with gerontechnology devices, benefiting 3,500 elderly and disabled individuals, and alleviating the burden and pressure on frontline healthcare workers.

1. Collaborated with six non-governmental organisations to set up “Real-life Hostels” with gerontechnology devices, benefiting 3,500 elderly and disabled individuals, and alleviating the burden and pressure on frontline healthcare workers.

A “Day Experience Centre” was established withinthe PolyU campus. Besides, over 2,000 gerontechtools collected from around the world are showcasedphysically and virtually on the website.

Visitors to the Day Experience Centre

2. A “Day Experience Centre” was established within the PolyU campus. Besides, over 2,000 gerontech tools collected from around the world are showcased physically and virtually on the website.

Organised over 1,200 activities for public education ongerontech, benefiting over 40,000 individuals in Hong Kong,and contributing to the widespread application of gerontech.

A Smart Ambassador (volunteer) is introducing the Smart Companion Robot to an older adult at the booth of the Gerontech and Innovation Expo cum Summit (GIES)

3. Organised over 1,200 activities for public education on gerontech, benefiting over 40,000 individuals in Hong Kong, and contributing to the widespread application of gerontech.