To help elderly people integrate into the digital era and enjoy the benefits brought about by digital technologies, the Digital Policy Office (DPO) launched the "Smart Silver" Digital Inclusion Programme for Elders (the Programme) in December 2024 to provide elderly people with digital training courses and technical support. A spokesman of the DPO today (May 6) noted that the Programme has received support and widespread participation from the elderly since its launch, with accumulative attendance for digital training and technology support services exceeding 24 000.
 
     The Programme provides funding support to 12 district service organisations to set up a total of 40 community-based help desks across all 18 districts, and to provide regular and fixed-point training on digital technologies and technical support for elderly people aged 60 or above, particularly singleton or doubleton elderly people living in old districts and public housing. The implementing organisations use an easy-to-understand approach to encourage the elderly to learn how to use practical mobile applications and digital services in their daily lives. This includes using popular government mobile applications such as "iAM Smart", eHealth, HA Go and My SmartPLAY as well as learning about cybersecurity, assisting the elderly in enhancing their ability to use digital technologies more effectively and appropriately.
 
     To further strengthen the current work on digital inclusion for elderly people, the DPO will proactively co-ordinate and consolidate the "Smart Silver" Digital Inclusion Programme for Elders along with its digital inclusion measures, such as the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Outreach Programme for the Elderly, the Enriched ICT Training Programme for the Elderly and mobile digital service stations to achieve greater synergy among various programmes. For instance, elderly people who have completed the basic training on digital technologies at the community-based help desks will be introduced to participate in the Enriched ICT Training Programme for the Elderly if they seek to deepen their digital knowledge and enhance their digital capability. They can also serve as volunteers in the activities of the ICT Outreach Programme for the Elderly to introduce the use of digital technologies to other elderly people. Coupled with the online learning modules of the Elderly IT Learning Portal, the DPO comprehensively addresses the needs of the elderly in learning digital technologies.
 
     "The DPO will continue to expand its regional collaboration network and encourage the implementing organisations of the 'Smart Silver' programme to bring together different sectors of the community, such as the District Services and Community Care Teams, the Senior Police Call, the innovation and technology industry and professional organisations, in the course of implementing the digital inclusion initiatives to benefit more elderly people. At the same time, the DPO actively reaches out to various District Councils (DC) to introduce the programme details, encourage collaboration among DC members, and leverage their community networks to further engage more elderly people, thereby enhancing the programme's social impact. The DPO hopes that members of the public will actively encourage the elderly around them to participate in the digital inclusion activities of the Programme, and join hands with the Government to promote the adoption of digital technologies by the elderly, so as to build a digitally inclusive and caring society," the spokesman added.
 
     For relevant details about various programmes of "Smart Silver", please visit the DPO website (www.digitalpolicy.gov.hk/en/our_work/digital_government/digital_inclusion/).

Ends/Tuesday, May 6, 2025
Issued at HKT 15:20

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