Jockey Club funds Hong Konga£á?s first-ever mobile health checks for dementia

05/25/2013

At present, around 100,000 of the 1.3 million elderly people in the community suffer from dementia. With the rapidly growing proportion of seniors, the number of patients is expected to have reached around 220,000 people by 2036. Aware that early diagnosis is the key to proper care, The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust donated HK$7.6 million to help acquire Hong Kong’s first-ever brain health promotional vehicle to provide outreach support for seniors across all 18 districts through preliminary checks on memory problems under a three-year preventive programme.

The Club’s Executive Director, Charities, Douglas So, today (25 May) officiated at the launch of the CADENZA Community Project: Jockey Club Charles Kao Brain Health Services with Secretary for Food and Health Dr Ko Wing-man, The Charles K Kao Foundation for Alzheimer's Disease Founder Charles Kao, Chairman Gwen Kao and its Advisory Council Chairman Dr Leong Che-hung, and St. James’ Settlement (SJS) Vice Chairman Michael Leung at the Stanley Plaza.

Mr So said the Club had been giving high priority to supporting dementia patients, their family members and carers, so it had decided to donate the city’s first mobile vehicle for dementia checks. “Under this new service model, the mobile centre will cover all 18 districts to provide preliminary tests for the elderly in the hope of diagnosing early-stage dementia patients and offering follow-up or referral services,” he said.

The Jockey Club Charles Kao Brain Health Services, co-funded by the Trust and The Charles K Kao Foundation, is a pioneering outreach service to raise public awareness of dementia, provide screening, and make referrals for community care. It is a quadripartite partnership of CADENZA: A Jockey Club Initiative for Seniors, St. James’ Settlement, The Chinese University of Hong Kong and The Charles K Kao Foundation.

Over the next three years, the 16-tonne promotional truck, accommodating nurses and social workers with audio/visual health screening equipment, will be stationed for two months in each of the 18 districts, with Sham Shui Po, known for its elderly population, as its first stop next month.

The three-year Programme comprises five components – consultation, public talks, centre-based workshops, follow-up service for patients and carers, and public education. Those who are found to have possible memory problems will be referred to government clinics, private medical practitioners and self-financing service providers. Carers will also be given dementia care tips and education kits. The Project is expected to benefit some 60,000 people.

The Jockey Club is a pioneer in caring for dementia patients, including the establishment in 2000 of the Jockey Club Centre for Positive Ageing (JCCPA), Hong Kong’s first dementia care centre integrating research, training and service, as well as the Jockey Club CADENZA Hub, a one-stop integrated health and social care centre set up in 2011. Last year, the CADENZA project launched a public education initiative, Brain Health Public Education Campaign, in collaboration with JCCPA, to offer school-based health talks, game design competitions and workshops as well as a community carnival to promote brain health.

CADENZA: A Jockey Club Initiative for Seniors is a project launched by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust with a donation of HK$380 million in 2006.  The project aims at nurturing academic leadership in gerontology and changing the mindset and attitude of the general public through a range of training and public education programmes.  Cross-sectional collaboration between organisations and the implementation of innovative elderly services and programmes are also encouraged in order to bring about a new mode of elderly care services to prepare for a rapidly aging society.  Details of CADENZA are available at http://www.cadenza.hk/.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club

Founded in 1884, The Hong Kong Jockey Club is not only one of the world's leading horse racing organisations but also a world top 15 charitable organisation and Hong Kong’s largest community contributor, donating HK$1.7 billion in 2012. It is also a major taxpayer, Hong Kong's single largest by far, generating over HK$16 billion a year for public funds. The Club pioneers technology applications for sporting and betting entertainment, striving for the highest levels of customer service. As a membership club, it is recognised as one of Asia’s most prestigious, with more than 23,000 members. These multifaceted roles make it a well-respected and remarkable organisation, dedicated to its mission of enhancing the quality of life for all Hong Kong people.