Elderly care is a humanised community service. Presently, the operation of many elderly care homes in Hong Kong is inconsistent; each care home has its own staff structure and admits various numbers and types of residents. Rather than implementing one-size-fits-all solutions, every elderly care home requires a unique approach to contain ongoing outbreaks as the COVID-19 situation in Hong Kong escalates. In the face of the most catastrophic event in Hong Kong’s history, the innovative Golden Age Care Anti-pandemic Support Programme was launched to drive positive changes in the elderly care industry from the bottom up and provide effective solutions through empathy and actively listening.
The programme gathers knowledge and expertise across various sectors and leverages smart ageing technology to help elderly care homes overcome critical challenges. Our multidisciplinary approach and combination of elderly care expertise and technology application have also demonstrated a new global standard in the industry.
As the pandemic persists, smart ageing technology has become an indispensable solution to tackle manpower issues in the elderly care industry. Currently, most smart robots available in care homes are only used to entertain guests, provide video calls or patrol the vicinity. However, these robots are also essential solutions to support basic nursing care and administrative tasks. The robots that we have deployed through the programme have proven to be effective solutions for many care homes. They are equipped with patrolling and disinfecting functions as well as integration capabilities with telemedicine equipment for infected elderly care workers to continue to safely monitor and care for elderly residents while social distancing at home.
During these critical times, we can no longer concentrate on just addressing complex social issues. Instead, we should focus on steering society towards the development of a sustainable and collaborative ecosystem. As other non-profit organisations also launch their own support initiatives, the public should get creative, discard conventional limitations and innovate new solutions so that everyone in our society can gain equal access to available resources.
With our unique perspectives, Golden Age Foundation aims to drive positive impacts in the elderly care industry. Predictions have indicated the ageing population will reach its peak by 2036. Although 2036 seems like a long way away, we must make the necessary preparations now to future-proof Hong Kong against current and forthcoming population ageing issues.
Rebecca Yung Choy
Chair, Golden Age Foundation
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The road to anti-pandemic support is long, and we need support from all walks of life to make the journey faster and more comprehensive.
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