New TV series helps CADENZA enhance public awareness and promote positive ageing

12 July 2009

To help Hong Kong prepare for the challenges posed by an ageing population, as well as promote active ageing and project a positive public image of the elderly, CADENZA: A Jockey Club Initiative for Seniors, is launching a new TV series.  The 10-episode series has been co-produced with Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK) and will be broadcast on consecutive Tuesdays from 14 July onwards.  At the announcement of the series today (12 July), The Hong Kong Jockey Club's Executive Director, Charities, William Y Yiu was joined by Acting Deputy Director of Broadcasting Tai Keen-man, Dean of School of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Professor T F Fok, CADENZA Project Director Professor Jean Woo and other guests.

Mr Yiu said that CADENZA, a project proactively initiated by the Club, was aimed at promoting positive ageing through a range of programmes that would help the community better prepare for the future with a growing elderly population.  Public education, he said, was an especially important element of the promotional effort.  "We hope the CADENZA TV series will arouse public awareness of different issues related to the elderly, ranging from their living environment and health quality to hospice services, in order to help both the young and old develop a positive attitude towards ageing."

The TV series will comprise ten half-hour episodes to be broadcast on TVB Jade every Tuesday from 14 July between 7:00 and 7:30 pm.  The programmes can also be viewed online on the RTHK website (http://tv.rthk.org.hk).  Each episode will carry positive ageing messages expressed through challenges encountered by the characters involved.  Topics covered will include living with enjoyment, inter-generational relationships, lifelong learning, love relations among seniors, dementia and close family bonds, making good use of resources for a productive lifestyle, healthy diets, self-reliance and preparing for bereavement.

A CADENZA TV Series Photo Competition has already taken place to arouse interest in the programme, offering prizes in the three categories of "Brilliant Life", "Harmonious Inter-Generation" and "Snapshots by the Elderly".  A roving exhibition of the prize winning entries will be held shortly at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre, Times Square and shopping centres in various districts.

Further details of the CADENZA TV Series can be viewed at www.rthk.org.hk/special/cadenzatv2009.

CADENZA: A Jockey Club Initiative for Seniors

CADENZA: A Jockey Club Initiative for Seniors is a five-year 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 social 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.  Details of CADENZA are available at: www.cadenza.hk.