The Hong Kong Jockey Club is committed to positive ageing and elderly care and to improving the quality of life of citizens as they age. To empower the elderly to live in their own homes as long as possible,  the Club’s Charities Trust has approved donations of HK$167 million to support the city’s first one-stop gerontech service, the Jockey Club “age at home” Gerontech Education and Rental Service. The four and a half year pilot project is being implemented with four charity partners. The project helps the elderly and their carers better understand how gerontechnology can improve quality of life and support “ageing in place” at affordable prices.  

The Jockey Club “age at home” Gerontech Education and Rental Service held an official launch ceremony at its Sha Tin centre today (12 October). Guests officiating at the ceremony included HKSAR Chief Executive Carrie Lam, Secretary for Labour and Welfare Dr Law Chi-kwong, Club Deputy Chairman Michael Lee, The Hong Kong Council of Social Service Chairperson Bernard Chan, Hospital Authority Chief Executive Dr Tony Ko, Evangelical Lutheran Church Social Service – Hong Kong Chief Executive Queenie Chan, Hong Kong Red Cross Chief Executive Officer/ Secretary General Bonnie So, and St. James’ Settlement Chief Executive Officer Josephine Lee.

In his remarks Club Deputy Chairman Michael Lee explained that the Club’s support for gerontechnology is helping to bring innovative benefits to elderly care. He added that the launch of the new service is a major milestone in the city’s gerontechnology development. It will provide valuable insights and indicators for the development of an innovative and sustainable gerontech service model in Hong Kong.   

The Club’s support for the project, like all of its charity donations, is made possible by its unique integrated business model through which racing and wagering generate tax and charity support for the community. Committed to the betterment of society, the Club is one of the world’s top ten charity donors.

The Jockey Club “age at home” Gerontech Education and Rental Service is a one-stop service which aims to strengthen the understanding and use of gerontechnology. In so doing it seeks to relieve the burden on carers and enable senior citizens to live in familiar environments and enjoy a better quality of life. Through training and capacity building programmes the project will also  nurture the next generation of talent in the gerontech industry. 

The project is jointly organised by The Hong Kong Council of Social Service, the Hong Kong Red Cross, Evangelical Lutheran Church Social Service – Hong Kong, and St. James’ Settlement. It operates two service centres:

·         The Jockey Club “age at Home” Gerontech Education and Rental Service Centre in Sha Tin provides assessment, advisory and equipment rental services for older persons and their carers. It also offers public educational programmes.

·         The Gerontech Cleaning and Maintenance Service Centre in Fotan offers cleaning, disinfection, quality checks, maintenance, re-packaging and storage of rental equipment.

Since trial operations began in September last year, the project has aided more than 380 families. Ms Fu is one of the beneficiaries. She suffered a stroke and was referred to the project before her discharge from hospital. Following an assessment by an occupational therapist, she rented an electronic nursery bed so that her husband, Mr Li, could help her sit up and turn.

“When my wife had a stroke I really didn’t know what to do”, said Mr Li. “Fortunately we can access gerontech products and related consultation services with support from the Jockey Club. This project has greatly alleviated my pressure – both physically and mentally – when taking care of my wife.”

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 2020/21, the Club returned a total of HK$29.4 billion to the community. This included HK$24.9 billion to the Government in duty, profits tax and Lotteries Fund contributions and HK$4.5 billion in approved charity donations.  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. The Club is always “riding high together for a better future” with the people of Hong Kong. Please visit www.hkjc.com