Press Release
5 August 2022
The 7th Golden Age Expo & Summit 2022
Smart Ageing: Innovation, Sustainability and Inclusion
5-7 August 2022 Hall 5G HKCEC
Themed “Smart Ageing: Innovation, Sustainability and Inclusion”, the 7th “Golden Age Expo and Summit” opens today (5 August) at the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre. Organized by Golden Age Foundation (“GAF”), this is a large-scale Expo and Summit specially catered for the Golden Age population (i.e. people aged 45 and above, retirees, and the elderly), with an objective to empower them to lead a purposeful, healthy, and quality life. The opening ceremony was officiated by Mr. SUN Yuk Han, Chris, Secretary for Labour and Welfare; Ms. HO Wing Yin, Winnie, Secretary for Housing; Dr Hon LAM Ching Choi, Member of Executive Council; Dr the Hon WONG Yuen Shan, Stephen, Senior Vice President & Executive Director of Public Policy Institute of Our Hong Kong Foundation cum Member of Legislative Council; Dr. LI Kwok Tung Donald, Chairman of Elderly Commission. Over 350 representatives from the government, business, academia, and civil sectors also attend to support the event.
Together with 32 smart robots “Dr Golden”, the Officiating Panel kicked off the event. During the 5th wave of Covid-19, GAF launched the “Golden Age Care Anti-Pandemic Support Programme” to support the elderly care industry. “Dr. Golden” were deployed to 34 elderly care homes to provide suitable support including disinfection, health check, interact with residents etc. At the same time, a team of professionals including social workers and registered nurses were formed to provide necessary support to help the elderly care homes sustain their operation.
Mrs. Rebecca CHOY YUNG, Founder and Chair of the Foundation, said at the Ceremony, “The invaluable insights and exchange of thoughts with well-known speakers from the business, professional, government, academic and research sectors in the event enables us to rethink how to respond to the needs of an ageing society in terms of economy, health, participation, and smart technology in the wake of the pandemic.”
Secretary Sun Yuk Han, Chris, one of our officiating guests, said in his speech, "Hong Kong's success is entirely contributed by the hard work of our elderly in the past. Taking good care of them is our responsibility, and also our heartfelt gratitude to them. I wish to say thank you to the Golden Age Foundation once again for organising this Expo that allows all of us to meet and see in person the successful collaboration and accomplishment of various sectors of the community in addressing ageing issue in a holistic manner.”
The other officiating guests also shared their visions for the "Golden Age". Dr. Lam Ching Choi said, "if we want to achieve a "Golden Age", we must nourish a "All For Health" mindset in all walks of life. Keeping our elderly healthy means an ageing population will never be a challenge, rather, it will bring more experienced and talented people to contribute to our society.”
Secretary Ho Wing Yin, Winnie, pointed out that, “the Housing Authority has done a lot in promoting “ageing in place”, including installation of more handrails and pedestrian ramps for the homes of some elderly residents, and increasing elderly friendly facilities and spaces, etc. How to enhance the physical and mental health of our elderly will be a key study area of the Housing Bureau. We are committed to enhancing residents’ well-being and happiness who are living in the existing or future housing estates, particularly our elderly residents. We look forward to sharing more achievements of our study in future occasions.”
Dr Wong Yuen Shan, Stephen, then told the audience that Our Hong Kong Foundation has been a staunch supporter of the “Golden Age” concept since its first launch. Over the years their Foundation has published a number of research reports on topics relevant to “Golden Age” such as advocating for advancing gerontech and enhancing the ecosystem of gerontech, etc. He said, “we hope to see that as our community is starting a new chapter, it will be a golden new chapter and everyone will lead a more exciting, energetic and meaningful life in their golden years.” Dr. Li Kwok Tung Donald added, "we shall not treat elderly care as a policy issue only. It is also related to the virtue of respecting the elderly and the core value of "filial piety" rooted in our Chinese tradition as well as promoting the harmony between generations. I would like to thank the Golden Age Foundation for organising this meaningful event which provides us a platform to explore together more innovative solutions and possibilities for addressing the needs of our ageing society. "
- Hybrid Event Mode
Initiated by the Golden Age Foundation in 2016, the Golden Age Expo and Summit set off a lively discussion on the issue of aging. Due to the pandemic and restrictions on outbound travel, this event is conducted in a hybrid mode. A total of over 100 prominent speakers from different sectors around the world cover topics ranging from the inspirational to the practical. The virtual summit was held successfully from 29 to 30 July, while the physical expo and summit opening today (5 Aug) till 7 Aug at the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre.”
- Golden Age Expo
The Expo assembles near 100 booths, showcasing thousands of high-quality products, services, and technologies from around the world, including health care and rehabilitation products & services, health food & supplements, home & elderly care, smart aging technology, financial services, living & lifestyle, social and community engagement, end-of-life care, etc. Two Special Pavilions were set for this year’s expo.
Golden Age Care Anti-pandemic Support Programme
The programme was initiated by the Foundation in February this year. It recruited a professional volunteer team of nearly 50 members, including senior elderly care home operators, medical staff, and elderly service social workers. Their professional wisdom supplemented by Smart Age Technology helped the programme to make an in-depth understanding of the actual situation and challenges the elderly care homes were facing, and provided suitable support to help them get through the tough time during the 5th wave of Covid-19. A Golden Age Care Pavilion was set up at the Expo to share with the visitors the fruitful achievement of the programme. A number of Golden Age IT Buddy were invited to join the event to envision the continuity of the mission of the volunteer team and to promote Smart Ageing Technology as well as the spirit of the programme.
Golden Age Arena:
This special pavilion was set up by a number of enthusiastic Golden Ager Fellows. A volunteer team formed by a group of grass-roots women will showcase their handmade soaps. Various workshops, games, health talks will also be delivered by the social enterprises.
Other featured exhibits include:
i. Smart Age Technology:
RecoveriX (Booth B11) is an innovative and unique stroke neurorehabilitation system that can help acute/subacute/chronic stroke patients regain their movement in both upper and lower limbs. Developed by g.tec in Austria.
NEC Social Robot (Booth B07) designed to stimulate, engage, enable and empower elderly with dementia and/or requiring companionship, as well as support their careers in elderly care facilities and home-based care with lifestyle centered services. It provides multi-language interactive communication, intellectual stimulation, self-care and behavioral training. It is developed specifically for human interaction of the elderly and children. All data collected can be used in a wide range of purposes, such as care-giving and education.
Geriatric Simulator (Booth C10) This wearable simulator enables users to personally experience the physical effects of ageing such as visual impairment, decreased mobility, fatigue, and decreased sense of balance, and helps them develop sensitivity and understanding toward older adults. Users can understand and observe how older people will be affected by these physical inconveniences in their daily lives.
Location Tracking & Movement Monitoring BLE Wristband (Booth D02) Vital Signs Monitoring (VSM) detects signs of infection or symptom-less medical problems early using oxygen saturation (SpO2) levels and pulse rates. The benefits of VSM is designed for homes for the elderly and rehabilitation centers. By monitoring and tracking elderly patients in real-time, they can be ensured 24/7 anti-wandering protection. Components VSM includes an IP67-rated dustproof and waterproof wearable device with Bluetooth tags to monitor the elderly and other patients’ movements and health conditions. A centralized data dashboard with a buzzer alarm will also help to alert caregivers of patients’ movements and status.
ii. Community Care Services:
Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui Welfare Council (Booth D05-D08), 13 elderly service centers located in different districts of Hong Kong provide holistic and diversified services for both careers and seniors. Through different activities including Labyrinth mindfulness training, health check, exercise & practice, cognitive and communication skills training kit introduction, neighbour & community network project exhibition, and end-of-life board game introduction, careers and participants can be well equipped for caring for themselves, loving their family members, caring for their neighbours, enjoying getting together with
others, and getting prepared for the end-of-life stage.
Woopie Club (Booth C17, C18) provides high-quality and diverse community care services for the elderly, including day centers and home care services, such as personal care, rehabilitation therapy, cognitive training, escorting services for medical consultations, food delivery, cleaning and so on, so that the elderly can enjoy their twilight years at home and live a happy life in the community.
The Hong Kong Chinese Christian Churches Union Kwong Yum Care Home (Integrated Aged Care Service) (Booth C12) provides a one-stop integrated elderly care service filled with “Love and Benevolence, Life Nourishment” for the elders. It includes providing 24-hour health care services, rehabilitation services, psychological counseling, and social and spiritual care support. Also, there are specialized care services to be provided to people with dementia and terminal illness, transitional care as well as daycare services.
iii. Lifelong Learning and Community Engagement:
Many colleges and institutions are providing various innovative courses to equip seniors with updated knowledge and skills, strengthen their adaptability to daily living, and achieve total health. Lifelong learning also helps Golden Agers (people 45+) to establish new social networks and keep engaging with society with a purposeful, healthy, and quality life. Available programmes include Jockey Club Golden Age Journey – Project V-work Together (Booth A07), Diamond Age Project (Booth E13), Enriched ICT Training Programme for the Elderly (Booth C08), Jockey Club 50+ Startup Incubator Programme (Booth B19), etc.
- Golden Age Summit
The Summit gathers over 60 renowned speakers to discuss and explore innovative ways of building ‘Smart Aging City’. Topics cover business, finance, elderly care technology, medical and social care, end-of-life planning, etc.
The first summit session, “CEO Forum – From Crisis to Changes”, features several prominent leaders (listed below) from the public and private sectors who will share their vision, strategy, challenges they are facing and suggested changes for the society in the new normal.
- Mr Kenneth CHAN Chi-yuk, Chairman of The Elderly Services Association of Hong Kong
- Mr. Alfred CHEUNG, Deputy Chief Executive and Chief Sales Officer, BOC Group Life Assurance Company Limited
- Mr. Donald CHOI Wun-hing, Executive Director and CEO, Chinachem Group
- Dr the Hon LAM Ching-Choi, SBS, JP, Member of the Executive Council
- Dr. Pamela TIN, Head, Healthcare & Social Development, Our Hong Kong Foundation
Other topics in this 3-day Summit include:
- Overcoming Hong Kong’s Healthcare Crisis: Developing a Sustainable Healthcare Model
- Community Innovation: A Bottom-up Approach from Crisis to Changes
- Supported by Bayer Hong Kong: Eye Care I Care
- The Future and Implication of Telehealth for Elderlies
- Facilitating Aging-in-Place in the Hong Kong Society
- Mindset Innovation in Needs Assessment for Elderly Services
- Technology Innovation in Dementia Support
- Financial Sustainability for the 100-year Life
- Career Support
- Discovery Channel: A World without Prejudice
There is also a number of health talks and various performances throughout the three-day event.
Event Detail:
The 7th Golden Age Expo & Summit 2022
Date: 2022 / 8 / 5-7
Time: 11am – 7pm
Venue: Hall 5G, Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre
Ticket Registration: https://goldenage.foundation/en/gaes2022/registration
Event Details: https://goldenage.foundation/en/gaes2022
E-Programme Book: https://bit.ly/3MU2jjq
For more information, please visit the above website or contact:
Mr. Ben Lei
PR Consultant
Smart GO PR Consultants Limited
Tel: (852) 96339340
Email: ben.lei@hkcg.com.hk
Ms. Milla Wong
Public Affairs Manager
Golden Age Foundation
Tel: (852) 6229 1907
Email: milla.wong@goldenage.foundation
Download Event Photos:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1VZOccviRvuD1c4hjyYP0YegTTy488kiy?usp=shari
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