Federal government reveals Report on Ageing Society Strategies (with images)
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The Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration (DCS), Mr Cheuk Wing-hing, signed up with by the Secretary for Labour and Welfare (SLW), Mr Chris Sun, and the Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, held an interview today (September 18) to reveal the Report on Ageing Society Strategies (the Report) (see accessory).
Mr Cheuk stated, “Hong Kong’s society continues to age. It is projected that by 2046, the population aged 65 and above in Hong Kong will increase to 2.74 million, accounting for more than one-third of the total population. By then, approximately one in three Hong Kong residents will be an elder. In view of the challenges brought by an ageing society, the Government and all sectors of society must plan ahead. Since its establishment in November last year, the Working Group on Ageing Society Strategies (the Working Group) has comprehensively reviewed and explored the policies and measures of various bureaux in response to our ageing society, and has submitted the Report to the Chief Executive. The Report puts forward 73 strategic measures, including innovative and new measures as well as enhanced measures, representing the collective effort of cross-departmental collaboration to address the challenges brought by an ageing society.”
The tactical procedures cover 11 locations, consisting of senior healthcare; senior domestic care services; cross-boundary senior care; senior neighborhood and living assistance; leveraging innovation for “smart ageing”; elderly-friendly city preparation and style; senior travel, social life and knowing; senior monetary security and security; personnels and public financial resources; silver economy, markets and chances; in addition to after-death preparation and associated services. These multipronged tactical steps not just accommodate the requirements of the senior throughout various elements, however likewise thoroughly deal with the difficulties generated by an aging society.
Amongst the procedures advance in the Report, on senior healthcare, the Health Bureau (HHB) will enhance health care services, centers and workforce. It will incorporate the services of Elderly Health Centres this year by increasing the variety of service points and service capability, offering more thorough health evaluations and lowering waiting time with suitable recommendations to the Primary Healthcare Co-care Network for persistent illness management. The HHB will likewise check out consisting of extra pilot medical organizations under the Elderly Health Care Voucher Greater Bay Area Pilot Scheme, and assist in health management and cross-boundary health record sharing through eHealth in an organized way. The services of the Chinese Medicine Hospital of Hong Kong and the Integrated Chinese-Western Medicine Services of the Hospital Authority (HA) will likewise be boosted, covering illness typical amongst the senior. As relates to health care centers and workforce, the HHB will think about the service requires occurring from an aging population when examining the Second Hospital Development Plan. The HHB has actually commissioned the HA to bring out a brand-new round of the health care workforce forecast workout, under which the supply and need of health care workforce will be evaluated taking into account aspects such as market and age structure shifts (consisting of an aging society).
For senior property care services and neighborhood care services, as revealed in the Policy Address, the Labour and Welfare Bureau (LWB) will increase the variety of subsidised long-lasting care locations for the senior by around 3 500 by end 2027. The LWB will offer, on a pilot basis, property care home for the senior properties recently constructed by the Government to the market for self-financed operation to increase the general capability of property care home locations and enable service companies higher versatility to supply varied senior property care services according to market needs.
Leveraging innovation for “smart ageing” is another crucial element. To this end, the LWB will develop the “welfare information sharing e-platform” in stages to incorporate social well-being information of pertinent federal government departments and non-governmental organisations, in addition to utilise AI to assist in early recognition of high-risk people or households, so regarding make it possible for prompt intervention and targeted reaction. In addition, the LWB will establish an “AI for Welfare Lab” to determine discomfort points and problems come across in social well-being services, in addition to fund the advancement and pilot execution of AI options, with a view to promoting their large adoption throughout the social well-being sector. This will assist boost service performance and quality, enhance resource matching, minimize administrative concerns on organisations and bring more accurate and effective assistance to groups in requirement. The LWB and the Social Welfare Department will likewise motivate the social well-being sector to supply services with ingenious methods, such as supplying remote care services through online or hybrid modes so regarding supply more versatile and sustainable care alternatives for the senior and their carers. Tentatively, social well-being organisations will check out such plans within 2026.
The Government will continue to promote silver economy advancement. The Office of the Government Economist will evaluate the modifications in the socio-economic attributes of the senior population and intake patterns, and so on, to assist create silver economy steps in line with market attributes. In addition, the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau will actively broaden the accreditation plans for senior services and products and check out with appropriate organisations the growth of the scope of accreditation to other locations. This consists of checking out the solution of appropriate requirements for movement help, such as strolling sticks, wheelchairs and exoskeleton systems, and studying their addition in the list of Greater Bay Area Standards.
As the Report is positive, the Government will evaluate and upgrade pertinent parts based upon the most recent situations and information. The LWB will, having regard to the outcomes of the 2026 Population Census, examine the preparation ratios for senior centers in the Hong Kong Planning Standards and Guidelines. The Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau, together with pertinent policy bureaux, will carefully keep an eye on the effect of the aging society on public financial resources and think about the requirement to create suitable steps in a prompt way.
Mr Cheuk included that throughout the course of consideration, the Working Group held 5 assessment sessions to commonly listen to the views of the Elderly Commission and appropriate market stakeholders. The Working Group thanked all pertinent sectors for offering important views, which contribute to the solution of steps by the Working Group to successfully react to the requirements of society. Policy bureaux and departments will gradually execute these steps. The Government will continue to sign up with hands with all sectors of society to actively deal with aging.
The Chief Executive revealed in the 2025 Policy Address the facility of the Working Group, with the DCS as the leader and the SLW as the deputy leader. Members of the Working Group consist of all 15 policy bureaux and the Chief Executive’s Policy Unit.
The complete report is offered on the site (www.cso.gov.hk/eng/links/rass.htm).