Jockey Club-funded anti-elderly abuse campaign bears fruit

12/18/2013

Elderly abuse is a common problem in the city, with Kwai Tsing District being one of the worst affected among the 18 districts in recent years. In light of the problem, CADENZA: A Jockey Club Initiative for Seniors has partnered Hong Kong Christian Services (HKCS) to run a three-year community project entitled Elder at PEACE (Project to End Abuse with Collaborative Efforts) in Kwai Tsing District since 2010.

Concluding the Elder at PEACE Project today (18 December), Jockey Club CADENZA Project Director Professor Jean Woo said the programme tried to mitigate the elderly abuse problem through empowerment and mediation. “Over the past three years, the Elder at PEACE team helped prevent the elderly from being abused through over 2,500 counselling sessions and provided training for more than 450 welfare and medical professionals. The Project has been widely recognised for its accomplishments.”

Jockey Club CADENZA Fellow Dr Elsie Yan, commissioned to evaluate the Project, said many of the service users found the intervention useful in alleviating psychological abuse and improving mental health. The Project and the evaluation study were funded by the Trust with a donation of HK$6.48 million.

An around 80-year-old client, whose 50-year-old son was addicted to the Internet and isolated from family and friends, said she used to devote herself taking care of her son, whose indifference had left her frustrated. Fortunately after receiving counselling from the Project’s social worker, she started to actively participate in social activities and has become more outgoing and confident.  

Under the Project, social workers helped empower the elderly against victimisation by making them aware of the community resources and choices available to them and their rights through “empowerment and mediation” as well as “case management” intervention models. Mediation between the victims and the abusers was arranged subject to consent of all parties involved and on the condition that no criminal offence was observed.  Elder at PEACE Project Director Bonnie Cheung said mediation was most favoured by family-abused elderly people who wanted to maintain a good relationship, adding that the Jockey Club-funded Project had helped many elderly victims get a new lease of life.

The Project also set up a six-member interdisciplinary team comprising Jockey Club CADENZA Fellow Dr Yan, a government welfare official, a barrister, a geriatrician, a psychiatrist and a nurse to help give professional advice and assistance in the legal and medical aspects for handling the cases more effectively and providing full support to those victims and families suffering from elderly abuse, in turn minimising the occurrence of abusive incidents. 

Over the past three years, 135 elderly people received help through over 2,500 counselling sessions. The Project also provided training for 450-plus practitioners to enhance their techniques when handling such cases. More than 6,700 people benefited from anti-abuse community talks and related programmes. To promote awareness of the problem and provide anti-abuse tips, 2,400 Trust-funded copies of a practical handbook will be free for distribution to carers, district councillors, watchmen as well as elderly and family service centres mainly in Kwai Tsing.

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 ageing society.  To encourage gerontological research and nurture academic leadership in social gerontology, 30 academics and professionals have been trained as Jockey Club CADENZA Fellows since 2007. Details of Jockey Club 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 Hong Kong’s largest community contributor, donating HK$1.95 billion in 2012/13. In addition, the Club is a major taxpayer, Hong Kong’s single largest by far, generating over HK$17.64 billion in 2012/13 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. 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.