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The following is issued on behalf of the Elderly Commission:
The Elderly Commission and the Labour and Welfare Bureau jointly organised, for the first time, two workshops for about 100 volunteers of the Pilot Neighbourhood Active Ageing Project. Professionals were invited to give talks on elderly health and care as well as interpersonal skills for young and elderly volunteers. The volunteers are now better equipped to meet the needs of other elders and provide with them appropriate assistance.
Co-organised by the Department of Health and the Hong Kong Geriatrics Society, the first of the workshops was held today at the Rehabilitation Building of the Kowloon Hospital. The second workshop will be on July 5. Doctors, nurses, nutritionists, physiotherapists and social workers gave talks about the common diseases faced by elders, communication skills with elderly people, recommended diet, physical exercises, healthy lifestyle, community support and ways of preventing accidents for the elderly.
The Chairman of the Elderly Commission, Dr Leong Che-hung, said, "The commission has been promoting active ageing. We encourage elders to pursue lifelong learning, take part in community activities and lead healthy lives so that they can continue contributing to their family and society.
"We hope the volunteers would learn to take care of the elders and share with them how to lead a healthy lifestyle. We also hope that the elders' family members and the community understand that neighbourhood mutual support is very important."
Dr Leong thanked the medical groups and non-governmental organisations for organising the workshops. He said it showed how various sectors and the young and old generations could work together under the Pilot Neighbourhood Active Ageing Project.
The project was jointly launched by the Elderly Commission and the Labour and Welfare Bureau to encourage members of the public, including elders, to become volunteers and build a neighbourhood support network. The volunteers would visit the elders regularly and organise activities for them. A total of 19 pilot projects are being implemented in the territory.
Ends/Saturday, June 28, 2008
Issued at HKT 12:30
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