Read More
Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust has taken a significant step toward supporting the city’s aging population with the launch of a new community network aimed at helping carers.
ADVERTISEMENT
SCROLL TO CONTINUE WITH CONTENT
The Jockey Club Carer Space (Tsing Yi), operated by the Hong Kong Young Women’s Christian Association, recently established the Tsing Yi Carer-Friendly Partner Network to bring together property management firms, retailers, clinics and social welfare organizations to create a cross-sector platform for carer support.
The project is part of the broader Jockey Club Carer Space Project, funded by a HK$290 million donation from the trust in 2023, which aims to connect carers across Hong Kong with timely and appropriate services.
The ongoing project is establishing specialized centers across Hong Kong to connect caregivers with timely, neighborhood-based assistance.
The Tsing Yi new network unites a diverse range of local partners, including property management firms, retail businesses, medical clinics, welfare groups, schools, and churches.
The collaborative network was officially introduced during a weekend community appreciation day and technology expo that drew over a thousand local carers, elderly residents, and community partners.
Uniting district businesses and services for daily support
Operating as a localized platform, the Tsing Yi network brings together shopping malls, restaurants, and medical centers to make daily life more manageable for caregivers and those they look after.
Participating partners are adopting simple and practical measures, such as modifying their premises to offer wheelchair-friendly access, creating dedicated rest zones, and offering priority services for elderly pairs.
Furthermore, these neighborhood partners will actively distribute information on carer support, help identify isolated individuals who may need assistance, and make direct referrals to social services.
Many local merchants have also pledged to provide special discounts on dining and daily essentials for registered carers.
To ensure this support is effective, the project organizers are providing structured training for both management and frontline workers of participating organizations.
This training covers the unique pressures caregivers face, communication techniques for interacting with people living with dementia, and how to navigate available public resources.
Within less than a month of recruitment, the Tsing Yi network has already attracted roughly twenty local organizations and is actively seeking more district partners.
Targeting high-need districts and expanding city-wide outreach
The focus on Kwai Tsing District, which includes Tsing Yi, comes in response to local demographic challenges, as the proportion of seniors aged sixty-five and older in the area is significantly higher than the city average.
Since its inception, the local Tsing Yi center has supported hundreds of caregivers and vulnerable elderly residents, while the parent project has established ten dedicated centers across Hong Kong.
Following the launch in Tsing Yi, the initiative is preparing to take its outreach program to other parts of Hong Kong later this month.
A public exhibition will run simultaneously in Quarry Bay and Sheung Shui on a Friday and Saturday toward the end of October.
These public events will feature interactive technology showcases, wellness activities, and registration booths to help more residents access essential caregiving resources early in their journeys.
