|
Home / CADENZA Treasury / CADENZA Symposium 2007
CADENZA Symposium 2007
Preparing for an Elder Friendly Hong Kong
Over 500 Academics, Professionals and Elderly shared their vision and expertise at the "CADENZA Symposium: Preparing for an Elder Friendly Hong Kong" at HKU. The Faculty of Social Sciences of The University of Hong Kong (HKU) and The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust brought together over 500 participants, including renowned scholars from Hong Kong and abroad, professional practitioners from non-governmental organizations, government units and respectful senior citizens, to the first CADENZA Symposium entitled "Preparing for an Elder Friendly Hong Kong" which was being held at HKU from January 8 to January 10, 2007.The 3-day Symposium officially kicked off the intellectual component of the CADENZA project.
This CADENZA symposium was the first international, cross-disciplinary, academic and professional symposium co-hosted by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust and HKU. Professor Lap-Chee Tsui, Vice-Chancellor of HKU, has always encouraged active exchanges of expertise, and the fostering of a vibrant research culture effective and relevant for our society. He highlighted that the CADENZA symposium "marks the formation of a platform for long-term collaboration, interaction and exchange amongst academia, social enterprises and government for building an elder friendly Hong Kong."
|
Mr William Y Yiu, Executive Director of Charities, The Hong Kong Jockey Club explained that the CADENZA project launched by the Jockey Club in May last year aimed at fostering positive community attitudes towards older people and improving the quality of care and quality of life for the elderly.
Officiating at the opening ceremony, Dr the Hon York CHOW Yat-ngok, Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food shares his outlook for the elderly in Hong Kong.
In his keynote address, Dr the Hon LEONG Che-hung, Chairman of Elderly Commission said, "The elders of today and tomorrow should be active and project a positive image. Ageing should never be equated with uselessness," he added, "the well being of our elders depends on a partnership among the Government, the non-governmental organizations and the business sector."
On the first day of the Symposium, Professor Denise Burnette and Professor Ada Mui from the Columbia University School of Social Work introduced the developmental life course perspective to examine how individual development and ageing are intricately and inextricably linked with the broader socio-historical contexts in which they occur. They also shared an illustrative life story to show how individual biographies can be used to illuminate and inform professional practice and public policy in an ageing society. (Presentation 1 - Jan 8)
Professor Nancy Morrow-Howell, George Warren Brown School of Social Work, Washington University in St. Louis, joined Professor Ada Mui to talk about how model programmes and policies can respond to the roles of people in later life when older adults express a desire to continue to work, to perform important volunteer roles in their community, to undertake creative endeavors, and to care for the younger generation. (Presentation 2 - Jan 8)
Professor Rosalie Kane, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, aimed to inspire new ways of thinking about residentially-based long-term care programmes, from quality of life to quality of care. Joining Professor Kane was Professor Kevin Mahoney, Boston College Graduate School of Social Work, to explain the demographic and attitudinal factors affecting community-based long term care, and to concentrate on the principles or vision underlying consumer-directed care from person-centred planning through managing and improving quality.(Presentation 3 - Jan 9)
Professor Kevin Mahoney, also highlighted consumer directed community care and quality of life of older people and discussed some implementation lessons in the United States.(Presentation 4 - Jan 9)
In addition, Professor Rosalie Kane shared examples of how to enhance quality of life in residential care facilities, with reference to the "Green Houses" developed in Mississippi, United States. The Green House was a model for a different kind of nursing home in which 10 or fewer people who live in a small, separate setting, staffed by a dedicated group of care attendants and a visiting team of professionals. (Presentation 5 - Jan 9)
Professor Robert Kane, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, focused on "rebalancing" residential care and community-based care, as well as the possibilities and challenges facing the future of long term care, through sharing relevant examples in the United States.(Presentation 6 - Jan 9)
|
|
