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Club-funded CADENZA research calls for immediate and comprehensive dementia strategy

13 April 2010

People generally perceive dementia as an inevitable process of ageing.  In fact, it is a chronic disease that may lead to disability or death.  In the face of a rapidly ageing population trend, dementia will increase the burdens on patients, carers and society as a whole.

To help prepare society for meeting such challenges, CADENZA: A Jockey Club Initiative for Seniors, a project initiated by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust in collaboration with the Faculty of Medicine of The Chinese University of Hong Kong and the Faculty of Social Sciences of The University of Hong Kong, has launched a series of studies entitled Challenges of Population Ageing on Disease Trends and Burden.  The studies, conducted with the Department of Community Medicine at The University of Hong Kong's Schoolof Public Health, focus on common diseases among the elderly. 

Dementia is the third and latest topic in the series, and the findings were announced today (13 April).  Dementia involves both direct and indirect burdens including high medical and long-term care costs, disability, premature mortality and burdens on caregivers.  The study says that the increasing number of cases requires the urgent creation of a comprehensive strategy for prevention and care to complement existing services and prepare for the future.

The first of the CADENZA research studies covered current well-being and the second the burdens resulting from diabetes.  The Club's Executive Director, Charities, Legal & Corporate Secretariat Douglas So explained: "By examining the dementia trends in Hong Kong and the implication on health and social services, we can recommend ways to minimise the burden on society.  We also hope that the study will raise public awareness and understanding of dementia so that prevention and care can be improved."

In 2005/06, about one in three community-dwelling people aged 85 or above in Hong Kong had dementia.  Assuming the prevalence of dementia remains unchanged, the CADENZA study projects that the number of people aged 60 and above with dementia will more than double from 110,000 in 2010 to 280,000 in 2036.  Since prevalence rates are estimated to increase, the actual number of people with dementia is likely to increase even faster.

Although people with dementia have a higher risk of dying than others, male sufferers are expected to live for another 16 years and females for 22 years at the age of 60.  Dementia is also a main contributor to disability.  This results in a huge impact on the need for care for these patients.  The CADENZA study estimates that the annual cost, as a consequence of the disease among those aged 60 or above, amounts to HK$2 billion for residential care units in Hong Kong and HK$9.9 billion for informal caregivers.  These costs are projected to increase to about HK$5.2 billion and HK$25.9 billion respectively by 2036.

Regarding the financing of care for people with dementia, in addition to the resources provided by Government, co-payment may be considered to complement existing services.  The Jockey Club Centre for Positive Ageing, which specialises in dementia care, is a successful example of dementia services run on a self-sustaining basis.  The Jockey Club CADENZA Hub, a newly-launched integrated social-medical day care model in a community setting, also provides care for dementia patients.

To minimise the burden of the disease, CADENZA recommends increasing awareness and understanding of the disease among the public and health and social care professionals through education and training; providing comprehensive assessment and management of multiple morbidities of people with dementia; and considering new services partially paid for by patients.  Individuals can actively prevent or postpone dementia by leading a healthy lifestyle, especially in terms of reducing cardiovascular risk factors, for example by doing regular exercise and refraining from smoking.  Details of the study results will be published in the coming report. 

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.

125th Anniversary of The Hong KongJockey Club

Founded in 1884, The Hong Kong Jockey Club is celebrating its 125th Anniversary in 2009/10 season.  Over the past 125 years, it has become one of Hong Kong's best known and respected organisations, providing the public with world-class sporting entertainment as well as being the city's major non-Government community benefactor, now donating more than HK$1 billion a year to charitable and community projects.  It has been a part of Hong Kong through good times and bad, sharing the city's growth and development with its people, and is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for future generations.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club!|s Executive Director, Charities, Legal & Corporate Secretariat, Douglas So, says that by examining the dementia trends in Hong Kong and the implication on health and social services, the CADENZA multi-disciplinary research team can recommend ways to minimise the burden on society.
Photo 1:
The Hong Kong Jockey Club!|s Executive Director, Charities, Legal & Corporate Secretariat, Douglas So, says that by examining the dementia trends in Hong Kong and the implication on health and social services, the CADENZA multi-disciplinary research team can recommend ways to minimise the burden on society.

CADENZA Project Director Jean Woo, who is Professor of Medicine and Head of the Division of Geriatrics at The Chinese University of Hong Kong's Faculty of Medicine, explains the background of the study.
Photo 2:
CADENZA Project Director Jean Woo, who is Professor of Medicine and Head of the Division of Geriatrics at The Chinese University of Hong Kong's Faculty of Medicine, explains the background of the study.

Club's Executive Director, Charities, Legal & Corporate Secretariat, Douglas So (left) and CADENZA Project Director Jean Woo.
Photo 3:
Club's Executive Director, Charities, Legal & Corporate Secretariat, Douglas So (left) and CADENZA Project Director Jean Woo.

Photos 4/5: Professor Sarah McGhee (Photo 4) of the Department of Community Medicine at The University of Hong Kong's School of Public Health presents the study results with Dr Patsy Chau (Photo 5), Research Assistant Professor of the CADENZA Project.
Photo 4:
Photos 4/5:
Professor Sarah McGhee (Photo 4) of the Department of Community Medicine at The University of Hong Kong's School of Public Health presents the study results with Dr Patsy Chau (Photo 5), Research Assistant Professor of the CADENZA Project.

Photos 4/5: Professor Sarah McGhee (Photo 4) of the Department of Community Medicine at The University of Hong Kong's School of Public Health presents the study results with Dr Patsy Chau (Photo 5), Research Assistant Professor of the CADENZA Project.
Photo 5

Mr Douglas So (centre), Professor Jean Woo (2nd from right), Professor Sarah McGhee (2nd from left), Dr Patsy Chau (1st from right) and Professor Timothy Kwok of the Department of Medicine & Therapeutics at The Chinese University of Hong Kong, who is also Director of the Jockey Club Centre for Positive Ageing (1st from left), pictured at today's announcement of the CADENZA dementia study findings.
Photo 6:
Mr Douglas So (centre), Professor Jean Woo (2nd from right), Professor Sarah McGhee (2nd from left), Dr Patsy Chau (1st from right) and Professor Timothy Kwok of the Department of Medicine & Therapeutics at The Chinese University of Hong Kong, who is also Director of the Jockey Club Centre for Positive Ageing (1st from left), pictured at today's announcement of the CADENZA dementia study findings.

 

 

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