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Jockey Club supports Phase II of JC JoyAge: Jockey Club Holistic Support Project for Elderly Mental Wellness

11/13/2020

To address the needs of an ageing population and to enhance mental health among older people, JC JoyAge: Jockey Club Holistic Support Project for Elderly Mental Wellness (JC JoyAge) launched Phase II of its work. By extending coverage of its community-based support network to all 18 districts from four pilot ones and by fostering 5,000 new mental health first aiders, JC JoyAge aims to promote active ageing in the community.

JC JoyAge was initiated in 2016 by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust with an approved funding of over HK$366 million. The seven-year project aims to promote mental wellness of the elderly by combating depression, and to raise public awareness of mental health literacy.

The launch ceremony for Phase II and an international symposium was held online today. Guests included the Club’s Executive Director, Charities and Community, Leong Cheung; Secretary for Food and Health, Professor Sophia Chan; President of The University of Hong Kong, Professor Xiang Zhang; and Acting Vice-President and Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research) of The University of Hong Kong, Professor Alfonso Ngan. 

Mr Cheung said, “The mental health of the elderly is a challenge for society. The Club launched the JC JoyAge project with the aim of enhancing resilience among older adults facing the challenges of ageing through cross-sectoral collaboration, bridging district elderly services and community mental wellness services. With the encouraging results achieved in Phase I, we are implementing Phase II. We will continue to use innovative thinking and collaborative power to support the elderly.”  

Satisfactory results in prevention and intervention during Phase I

In view of the prevalence of depression in old age, fragmented community services and low awareness of elderly mental wellness, the Trust-initiated project JC JoyAge was launched in 2016 in partnership with The University of Hong Kong (HKU) and NGOs. Through cross-sectoral collaboration, JC JoyAge provides a community-based support network for the elderly.

In its Phase I of the project from 2016 to 2019, JC JoyAge was implemented in four pioneer districts – Kwai Chung, Kwun Tong, Sham Shui Po and Tseung Kwan O. It aimed to enhance the capacity of professionals in the field as well as non-professionals, and recruit elderly volunteers and provide them with training for them to become ‘Peer Supporters’. JC JoyAge has enhanced community capacity to support the mental health of the older generation.

JC JoyAge Project Director and Head of the Department of Social Work and Social Administration of HKU, Professor Terry Lum and JC JoyAge Project Co-Principal Investigator and Assistant Professor of Department of Social Work and Social Administration of HKU, Dr Gloria Wong revealed the results of Phase I:

·         Outreach occurred to 101,000 older adults. Preventive care and intervention were provided to more than 4,300 older adults at-risk or with depressive symptoms, resulting in improved conditions for over 98% of the beneficiaries.
·         The mean score for depression significantly declined by more than half from the baseline, while the anxiety and loneliness level was reduced by nearly half. Participation in social and recreational activities by older adults also increased.
·         The JC JoyAge service achieved remarkable results: 5.7 times more effective in terms of successful prevention, and more than 3.5 times more effective in terms of successful treatment compared with traditional services.

Extending reach to all 18 districts in Phase II and fostering 5,000 mental health first aiders in four years

With the satisfactory results shown in Phase I, Phase II will be implemented to extend coverage to all 18 districts from 2020 to 2023. The project will partner with 42 community centres for mental wellness and district elderly community centres, and launch a new ‘Ambassadors’ programme with the aim of fostering 5,000 new elderly volunteers who will be trained through a certificate course in Mental Health First Aid (Older Person). By leveraging the abundant life experiences of volunteers to promote elderly mental wellness and reach out to support fellow older adults who are at risk of depression in their communities, the volunteers can also benefit from elevated self-worth and resilience.

By broadening the number of volunteers equipped with mental wellness knowledge, JC JoyAge aims to encourage people from all walks of life to look out for and provide initial support to older adults who have depressive symptoms or are at risk, with the ultimate goal of improving mental wellness in the community. 

For more details, please visit http://www.jcjoyage.hk/.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club

Founded in 1884, The Hong Kong Jockey Club is a world-class racing club that acts continuously for the betterment of our society. The Club has a unique integrated business model, comprising racing and racecourse entertainment, a membership club, responsible sports wagering and lottery, and charities and community contribution. Through this model, the Club generates economic and social value for the community and supports the Government in combatting illegal gambling. In 2019/20, the Club contributed HK$19.9 billion in duty and profits tax and HK$0.8 billion to the Lotteries Fund. Approved charity donations were HK$4.5 billion. The Club is Hong Kong’s largest single taxpayer and one of the city’s major employers. Its Charities Trust is also one of the world’s top ten charity donors.


Picture 1:
The Club’s Executive Director, Charities and Community, Leong Cheung (3rd left); JC JoyAge Project Director and Head of the Department of Social Work and Social Administration of HKU, Professor Terry Lum (3rd right); JC JoyAge Project Co-Principal Investigator and Assistant Professor of Department of Social Work and Social Administration of HKU, Dr Gloria Wong (2nd right); project social worker (1st right) and two project ambassadors (1st and 2nd left) attend the press conference for the JC JoyAge Launch Ceremony.


Picture 2:
The Club’s Executive Director, Charities and Community, Leong Cheung delivered a speech.


Picture 3:
JC JoyAge Project Director and Head of the Department of Social Work and Social Administration of HKU, Professor Terry Lum (left) and JC JoyAge Project Co-Principal Investigator and Assistant Professor of Department of Social Work and Social Administration of HKU, Dr Gloria Wong (right) reveal the results of JC Joyage Phase I.