The Institute has collaborated with the Sham Shui Po District Office (DO) through various initiatives to empower various stakeholders in order to improve the quality of life of the residents.
Health screening and networking with community NGOs
Older people are often one of the most vulnerable groups requiring support, especially those with less economic resources and social support network. In collaboration with DO and NGOs, the Institute has conducted a series of activities in the district from Nov 2022 to Mar 2023 to equip older people with mindset and tools for self-management, make referrals to nearby NGO and District Health Centre, and empower property management staff in the district to identify potential frail residents with community resources available in the district.
- Home visits to older adults aged 60 or over in a private building (without lift) over 50 years to conduct health screening with results and follow up actions to take, introduce app for continued self-management, and refer them to Neighbourhood Elderly Centre and District Health Centre for community support in the long run.
- Train social workers and volunteers in the NGO to utilize an app to assess the health of older people and take actions for self-management
- Empower property management staff and housing estate committee members and older people to identify those in need as well as kits and resources to address the unmet needs.
Map to identify high-risk residents to hot weather
Increase in ambient temperature due to global warming is related to increased health risks. The high building density poses further risks to the district, in particular those with less resources and living in poor living condition.
The Institutes of Ageing and Health Equity identified city-dwellers more vulnerable to the impacts of the extreme heat through locating buildings with overcrowdedness together with public data and database from DO. A pilot model of a map with near real-time data and a forecast of heat-health risk is produced and presented to DO in September 2023 with the aim of providing more timely alert for local NGOs and District Care Teams to react upon.
DO used data obtained earlier from cooperation with the Institutes to create a list of high-risk to hot weather buildings in the district. The research results provided useful reference to District Care Teams to provide the following service under hot weather.
• 「探訪酷熱天氣高危大廈居民」啟動禮 (Aug 2024)
Sham Shui Po District Care Teams Training Series
To deepen the understanding of District Care Teams on prevalent health concerns among the elderly and gain insights into effective strategies for supporting aging in place, the Institute organized a series of training from February to April 2024 to equip them with practical skills and introduce relevant community resources. Training topics include home design, memory and medication problems, frailty, sarcopenia and combating hot weather.
The training met with overwhelming enthusiasm, attracting over 60 participants in each session. With positive feedback from the participants, it is expected that the training could better support their elderly service in the district.
Fun Day on Combating Hot Weather
The Institute will collaborate with the District Office and other stakeholders in the district to organizing a fun day「熱島熱不倒•深水降温」同樂日on 25 July 2024. The event will feature interactive games, informative talks, and health check-ups, all aimed at raising public awareness about effective heat-relief techniques for the older adults.
