Calling for stakeholders to work together to address the ageing issue
Hong Kong, April 10, 2014 – Microsoft and The Business and Professionals Federation of Hong Kong (BPF) today held the “Microsoft CityNet Forum Series: A Better Third Age Through Innovative Technology”. The forum was aimed at exploring new technological frontiers with the purpose of providing more comprehensive health monitoring for the elderly. Much of the focus of the event was on helping the elderly enhance their social networking through technology, so as to improve both their physical and emotional well-being as a whole. The seminar also sought to pinpoint better ways for younger generations to learn from the untapped experience and expertise of seniors.
“According to Government statistics1, the average life expectancy of Hong Kong people is 84, eight years longer than 30 years ago. In the coming 30 years, the population of those aged 65 and up will increase by 150 percent to 2.56 million,” said Professor Gregg Li, Vice President, Business and Professionals Federation of Hong Kong. “The way we improve the quality of life of the elderly has become a key challenge and critical issue that society must face. We consider advanced technology as an effective enabler to address the increasing aging population issue, as it allows the elderly stay connected with family, friends, doctors and the community. It also helps monitor as well as maintain their physical and emotional well-being, allowing them to pass down their rich life experience and wisdom.“
“Since our establishment in Hong Kong, we have been providing quality products and services for users of all ages,” said Horace Chow, General Manager, Microsoft Hong Kong. “We are also committed to fulfilling our corporate social responsibilities through empowering the growth and competitiveness of Hong Kong through innovative technology. Our work covers three key areas: innovating for growth; empowering youth; as well as building a next-generation city, primarily though our ‘CityNext’ flagship initiative. The key part of ‘CityNext’ is its people-first approach, which aims at creating e-Government infrastructure and application services, modernising non-profit organizations, and fostering a secure Internet environment. Through our innovations and work with all sectors, including healthcare, transportation, internet security, we strive to enhance the overall quality of life in Hong Kong.“
Chow added: “Aging population is a challenge that every developed city must face. According to the latest population surveys2, Hong Kong is considered an ‘aged country’, with 14.5 percent of its population is aged over 65, which is comparatively higher than most countries in the region, with figures for Chin, Singapore and Korea coming in at 9.1, 10.7 and 12.6 percent respectively.
“Microsoft always believes that technology can help individuals or organizations realize their full potential. Advanced technology such as cloud, mobility, social networking, big data and natural user interfaces can empower Hong Kong to transform into a smarter city and facilitate the connection and collaboration among different sectors, providing a more suitable and inclusive services for the elderly while offering more opportunities for the industry. As an industry leader, Microsoft would like to encourage all sectors, including technology companies, the Government, social enterprises, social welfare organizations and medical organizations to work together in understanding the elderly’s needs and optimizing services for them.”
Innovative technology not only enables once unimaginable possibilities, but is also widely applicable to elderly services, including tele-healthcare and accessibility aids. Applications for the elderly include the use of eye-tracking technology for those without the mobility needed to control a computer, thus helping them address their daily needs.
Microsoft Kinect meanwhile can be used to monitor heart beats and design interactive cognition assessment applications for the elderly, providing early prevention measures from cognitive disorders. Data can be sent to all medical systems through cloud and big data platforms for the appropriate handling or preventive follow up. Also, instant communication systems like Skype can be used to contact doctors and nurses for remote diagnosis when necessary.
As per the latest statistics released by the Social Welfare Department3, there are about 24,000 elderly individuals awaiting care and attention, and home vacancies, with the average period being up to 20 months. Additionally, 6,249 elderly individuals are awaiting places in nursing homes, with the average period being up to 35 months.
“Senior Citizen Home Safety Association is a social enterprise that provides services to the elderly in Hong Kong for 18 years. We receive and handle over 2,000 calls from ‘Personal Emergency Link’ users on a daily basis and thus an advanced and effective relationship management system would be beneficial to us in terms of storing, handling and analyzing the large amounts of data. With technology, our operations and services for the elderly can be improved with more efficient and personalized services. Furthermore, we can also take advantage of big data to forecast the needs of the elderly more accurately,” said Irene Leung, Chief Executive Officer, Senior Citizen Home Safety Association (SCHSA). “ We started planning and piloting Microsoft Dynamics CRM System 12 months ago with great results. By mid-April we will have completed our data migration and thereafter have full use of the CRM system, which will drastically improve and expand our services.”
“Microsoft CityNext Forum Series: A Better Third Age Through Technology” was one of the highlights of this year’s IT Fest. With the aim to gather views policy makers, NGOs, healthcare professionals, social entrepreneurs and all citizens, the event was critical in terms of its contribution to the discussion surround better community and quality of life for the elderly.
The forum was officiated by Guest of Honor, Mr. Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, Secretary for Labour and Welfare, HKSAR Government. Speakers include: Dr. Leong Che Hung, Chairman of the Council of The University of Hong Kong; Mr. Gabe Rijpma, Senior Director Health and Social Services of Microsoft Asia; Mr. Michael Somerville, Consultant of BPF, Dr. Wu Po Chi, Adjunct Professor of Medical and Aerospace Engineering of The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology; Professor Jean Woo, Project Director of Jockey Club CADENZA; Mrs. Lilian Chan, Chief Executive of The Third Age Centre of The Hong Kong Association of Senior Citizens; Mr. Michael Ma, Head of Information Technology of the Hospital Authority; Professor Helen Meng, Founding Director of Big Data Decision Analytics Research Center of The Chinese University of Hong Kong; and Dr. C.P. Wong, President of eHealth Consortium.
1 Source: http://www.censtatd.gov.hk/statistical_literacy/educational_materials/statistics_and_you/index_tc.jsp
2 Source: http://projectm-online.com/#/global-agenda/demographic-insights
3 Source: http://www.swd.gov.hk/doc/elderly/ERCS/LTC%20Statistics%20HP-Chi(201402).pdf
###
About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.
