Hong Kong has topped the world charts for longevity compared to other countries. However, a longer life does not mean a healthy life. Over 60% of older people were pre-frail/frail, 9% had sarcopenia, over 70% had some degrees of memory complaints and many are physically inactive and/or malnourished; all of these dispose older people at risk of functional disability, hospitalization and death. This situation is partly a result from lack of awareness and knowledge on the concept of Healthy Ageing and functional ability among older people, carers, service providers and the general public as well as the insufficiency of services to optimize the functional ability of older people that are provided near to where older people live.

This project aims to alleviate the above problems by creating opportunities for older people to learn self-care and participate in services integrating health and social elements close to where they live through the ICOPE approach. In parallel, it hopes to encourage enabling environments that can favour Healthy Ageing by providing the health and social integrated services at housing estates through collaboration with real estate developers and community centres.The project will conclude with an open-source guide to consolidate the project findings and to propose a health and social service model for potential implementation in residential estates. This project aligns with the government policy of “Ageing in Place” to promote elderly residents’ well-being, resilience to health decline and to avoid pre-mature institutionalisation.

The project drives towards the provision of people-centred integrated care services through the ICOPE approach that put people and communities, at the centre of health systems. This system oriented around the needs of people are more effective, cost less, improve the trust, experience and are better prepared to respond to the rising demand of health services.The provision of coordinated services in the communities, and extending to residential estates, will facilitate the development of an integrated service delivery model. Integrating health and social components – which is widely considered to provide better performance in terms of both quantity and quality as a result of effective communication and better resources allocation. This, in the end, will reduce the reliance on the public hospital system in Hong Kong, which is currently overloaded.

The primary beneficiaries are older people, property service staff and centre staff. Other beneficiaries include carers, professionals of health and social care and built environment professional, policymakers and the general public.

• 170 – Older people


• 70 – Carers


• 60 – Property service and centre staff


• 15 – Health and social care professionals


• 15 – Built environment professionals


• 450 – General Public

2021

Active Ageing, Well-being