The Jockey Club End-of-Life Community Care Project: Unison (JCECC: Unison), a five-year project to provide personalised palliative and end-of-life care for persons with disabilities, as well as essential support for their caregivers, was officially launched today (16 June).

Initiated and funded by the Club’s Charities Trust with an approved donation of HK$290 million, JCECC: Unison is a response to the rising demand for palliative and end-of-life care among Hong Kong’s ageing population of persons with disabilities, for whom severe or terminal illnesses can create considerable physical and emotional stress.

Attending today’s ceremony were HKSAR Government Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun, Club Steward Dr Henry Chan, Director (Strategy and Planning) of Hospital Authority Dr Ching Wai Kuen, Dean of Faculty of Social Sciences of The University of Hong Kong Professor Ming Wen, and other guests.

Building a healthy community is one of the priority funding areas of the Club’s Charities Trust. Club Steward Dr Henry Chan said the Jockey Club End-of-Life Community Care Project (JCECC), which was initiated and funded by the Club’s Charities Trust in 2016, has benefited over 23,000 older people and their family members. Responding to the end-of-life challenges faced by persons with disabilities, the Club initiated and funded the JCECC: Unison in 2024. The project provides palliative and end-of-life care to persons with physical and intellectual disabilities and persons in mental recovery, aiming to improve the quality of life for both them and their families.

According to the Hong Kong Census and Statistics Department, there are over 530,000 persons with disabilities in Hong Kong, including those with physical disability or in mental recovery.   About 70% of them are aged over 50. The city is also home to an estimated 77,000 to 90,000 persons with intellectual disabilities. However, palliative and end-of-life care for persons with disabilities remains underdeveloped both locally and globally.

JCECC: Unison builds on the Jockey Club End-of-Life Community Care Project (JCECC), a ten-year project initiated and funded by the Club’s Charities Trust in 2016, which developed holistic palliative and end-of-life care service models for older people with terminal illnesses residing in the community and in elderly homes. JCECC: Unison extends its scope to cover persons with physical and intellectual disabilities and persons in mental recovery.

JCECC: Unison adopts an evidence-based approach, with cross-disciplinary collaboration between medical and social care sectors, to deliver personalised palliative and end-of-life care services to persons with disabilities in home and residential care home settings, including symptom management, psychosocial support and advance care planning. In addition, JCECC: Unison provides caregiving skills training and emotional counselling to caregivers to help meet their physical, psychological and practical needs.

JCECC: Unison is expected to benefit over 7,000 persons with disabilities and their caregivers. It also provides training to over 14,000 health and social care professionals to enhance their capacity to deliver palliative and end-of-life care in the community, while raising public awareness through workshops and community activities.

Project partners of JCECC: Unison include The University of Hong Kong, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Caritas – Hong Kong, Fu Hong Society, Haven of Hope Christian Service, Hong Chi Association, Hong Kong PHAB Association, Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui Welfare Council Limited, New Life Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association, SAHK, St James’ Settlement and Tung Wah Group of Hospitals. For details, please visit https://jcecc-unison.hk/.

The Club’s support for the Jockey Club End-of-Life Community Care Project: Unison, like all its charity and community donations, is made possible by its unique integrated business model through which racing and responsible sports wagering generate substantial tax contributions, charity support and employment opportunities for Hong Kong.

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 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 HKSAR Government in combatting illegal gambling. In 2023/24, the Club returned a total of HK$40.1 billion to the community. This included HK$29.9 billion to the HKSAR Government in duty, profits tax and Lotteries Fund contributions and HK$10.2 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 one of the world’s leading charity donors.