S.H. Ho Centre for Gerontology and Geriatrics

School of Public Health & Primary Care

Faculty of Medicine

The Chinese University of Hong Kong

 

 

Director: Prof Jean Woo

MA MD (Cantab) MD BChir, FRCP(Lond), FRCP(Edin), FRACP, FHKAM(Medicine), FFPH

Professor of Medicine

Head, Division of Geriatrics

Department of Medicine & Therapeutics

 

History

Mission

Research

Education

Community Service

Events

  Symposium

  Press release

  Cadenza 18-district programme

  Cadenza TV series with RTHK

Recent representative publications

Highlights

 

 

 

 

History

The Centre of Gerontology and Geriatrics was formed in 1998 and it started the first multidisciplinary self financed programme (Masters and Postgraduate Diploma) in Clinical Gerontology, to equip all those who come into contact with elderly people in the service setting with appropriate perspective and knowledge.  The Centre is entirely self-sustaining, with the self-financed taught programmes supporting some core staff, and research activities supported by various competitive research grants.  In 2006, the Faculty of Medicine received a generous donation from the SH Ho Foundation to establish the SH Ho Fellowships for training in Geriatrics and Clinical Gerontology, and also to support research activities, and the Centre was renamed as the SH Ho Centre for Gerontology and Geriatrics.

 

    

 

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Mission

n          To carry out research into the various aspects of the ageing process, the implication of ageing for the Hong Kong population, and the measures to meet the consequences.

n          To provide training for clinicians and other professionals involved in care of the elderly

n          To promote community education which covers health promotion and health maintenance, disease knowledge and self-management

 

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Research

Main themes:

n          Geriatric diseases & syndromes

Ÿ       Stroke, Parkinson¡¦s disease, dementia, depression, osteoporosis, osteoarthritis

Ÿ       Incontinence & falls

Ÿ       Assessment of drugs, including Traditional Chinese Medicine

n          Psychosocial topics

Ÿ       Positive Ageing

Ÿ       End of life care

Ÿ       Carer stress

Ÿ       Issues related to long term residential care

n          Evaluation of difference models of service provision

 

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Education

n          Postgraduate Programmes:

Ÿ       Master of Science in Clinical Gerontology

Ÿ       Postgraduate Diploma in Clinical Gerontology

Ÿ       Postgraduate Diploma in End of Life Care

 

  

 

n          S H Ho Fellowship

With the generous donation from the S H Ho Foundation limited, the S H Ho Centre will further enhance research and training for clinicians and other professionals involved in the care of the elderly.  It will also widen community education with respect to health promotion and health maintenance, disease knowledge and self-management.

 

  

 

n          Healthy Ageing website

http://healthyageing.sph.cuhk.edu.hk

 

 

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Community Service

n          NGO Partners: the Salvation Army, Hong Kong Society for the Aged, Tung Wah, Evangelical Lutheran Church Social Services, HK

 

n          Hip Protector pants

Hip protector and shorts were designed for Chinese subjects, whereas the material was tested for strength and compliance, and cost effectiveness was evaluated in elderly subjects in institutional settings

 

n          Telemedicine

Ÿ       More than twelve elderly centres, with around two thousand elderly people benefited from the service since video consultation and treatment were carried out in Shatin Hospital

Ÿ       Potential benefits: to reduce the time taken by elderly people to visit hospitals due to minor illness as well as to reduce hospitalization rate

 

     

 

n          Chronic Disease Self Management Programme (CDSMP)

Ÿ       Using self-management techniques to deal with physical and emotional problems associated with chronic diseases

Ÿ       Existing programmes with various organizations such as Salvation Army, Hong Kong Society for the Aged, and ELCHK were carried out.  A collaborative activity programme with Catholic Cathedral Parish Pastoral Council & Caritas Elderly Centre was being implemented in January 2007

 

   

 

n          Falls Prevention Programme

Ÿ         Evidence based Falls Management Exercise Programme (FaME) which is currently held in Shatin Hospital for the elderly people who have attended Accident & Emergency (A&E) dept with incidence of falls

 

Ÿ         A Fall Assessment Clinic was held in PWH since Aug 2006 for those who were admitted to A&E dept with incidence of falls: Collaborative project with Academic Unit in A&E dept

 

  

 

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Events

10th Anniversary Symposium of the Centre for Gerontology and Geriatrics & Presentation of the S.H. Ho Fellowship Awards

 

The event was held on 26 April 2008.  Marching Band Performance by SAGE Mr. Wong Wha San Memorial Neighbourhood Elderly Centre, presentation of SH Ho Fellowship Award to Dr Mok Ka Wai, Alice and Dr Au Kar Ming, some of the key research findings were presented by academic staff, as well as the first group of SH Ho Fellow.  There was also a public education event with public lectures and exhibitions, supported by the Jockey Club Charities Cadenza Project.

 

Presentation of a souvenir from Dr. TL Ho to the Marching Band representative

of the SAGE Mr. Wong Wha San Memorial Neighbourhood Elderly Centre

 

Dr. TL Ho & Mrs. Ho with Centre Director, Prof. Jean Woo

 

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CADENZA Symposium 2008: Successful Ageing

11 ¡V 12 October 2008

http://www.cadenza.hk/

 

 

 

From left:
Mr William Yiu, Executive Director, Charities, The Hong Kong Jockey Club
Professor Ann Bowling, Health Services Research, University College of London
Mr Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, Chief Executive Officer, The Hong Kong Jockey Club
Dr the Hon Leong Che-hung GBS JP, Chairman, Elderly Commission
Professor John G Malpas, Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President, HKU
Professor Jean Woo, Project Director of CADENZA
Professor Ian Holliday, Dean of Faculty of Social Sciences, HKU
Mr Matthew Cheung Kin-chung GBS, JP, Secretary for Labour and Welfare
Professor Shah Ebrahim, Public Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, University of London
Professor Helen Bartlett, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Gippsland), Monash University
Ms Bonny Wong, Head of Charities, The Hong Kong Jockey Club

 

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Press release

 

Challenges of Population Ageing on Disease Trends and Burden Part I: Diabetes

26 May 2009

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Speakers response to media enquiries after the presentation. (From left) Prof Sarah M McGhee, Department of Community Medicine, School of Public Health, HKU; William Y Yiu, Executive Director, Charities, The Hong Kong Jockey Club; Prof Jean Woo, CADENZA Project Director and Professor of Medicine, Head of Division of Geriatrics, Department of Medicine & Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine, CUHK; and Dr Patsy Chau, Research Assistant Professor of the CADENZA Project.

 

New Attitude and New Direction in Elderly Care

18 February 2009

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

From left:  Dr Benise Mak Research Assistant Professor of CADENZA Project and Faculty of Social Sciences, HKU; Professor Diana T F Lee Programme Director of CADENZA Training Programme; Professor Ian Holliday Dean of Faculty of Social Sciences, HKU; Professor Jean Woo Director of CADENZA Project; Miss Bonny Wong Head of Charities The Hong Kong Jockey Club; Mr Peter Chan Hong To Chief Project Administrator of CADENZA Project

 

How Well are Seniors in Hong Kong Doing?

3 November 2008

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

From left: Mr William Y Yiu Executive Director Charities of The Hong Kong Jockey Club; Professor Jean Woo Director of CADENZA Project; Dr Patsy Pui-hing Chau Research Assistant Professor of CADENZA Project

 

Can We Avoid Spending the Last Part of Our Lives in Old Age Homes?

2 September 2008

 

GROUP

 

 

 

 

From left:
Dr Elsie Hui, Senior Medical Officer, Medical & Geriatric Unit, Shatin Hospital
Dr Patsy Pui Hing Chau, Research Assistant Professor of CADENZA Project
Professor Jean Woo, Professor of Medicine, Head of Division of Geriatrics, Department of Medicine & Therapeutics, CUHK, Director of CADENZA Project
Ms Bonny Wong, Head of Charities, The Hong Kong Jockey Club
Dr Felix Hon Wai Chan, Consultant Physician (Geriatrics) TWGHs Fung Yiu King Hospital, President of the Hong Kong Geriatrics Society
Professor Timothy Kwok, Professor, Department of Medicine & Therapeutics, CUHK

 

Does the Very Hot Weather Warning Reduce Mortality among Elderly People in Hong Kong?

31 July 2008

 

 

 

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Professor Ian Holliday, Dean of Faculty of Social Sciences, HKU; Professor Jean Woo, Director of CADENZA Project; Dr Patsy Pui Hing Chau, Research Assistant Professor of CADENZA Project

 

 

Cadenza 18-district programmes

 

The CADENZA 18-District Programme is a series of public education events co-organised by CADENZA: A Jockey Club Initiative for Seniors and Radio Television Hong Kong Radio 5 (RTHK), and sponsored by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust.

The objectives of the programme are: (1) to revolutionise the ways people view and care for the elderly; (2) to equip the soon-to-be-old with knowledge contributing to active and positive ageing; and (3) to highlight topics pertaining to positive ageing to residents of Hong Kong's 18 districts, having regard to specific local characteristics.

 

Cadenza 18-district programme

1 December 2008

 

Cadenza 18 district programme

1 December 2008

August 2009 Activity ¡V Healthy Hearing

July 2009 Activity ¡V Living in a Safe Environment

June 2009 Activity ¡V Home Adaptation

May 2009 Activity ¡V Oral Health

April 2009 Activity ¡V Healthy Lifestyle and Eating Happily

March 2009 Activity ¡V Eye Protection

February 2009 Activity ¡V The Exercise Pattern for Older Persons

January 2009 Activity - Winning the Second Half of Life

 

For details, please visit

http://app1.rthk.org.hk/special/cadenza/index.php

 

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Cadenza TV series with RTHK

CADENZA co-produced a 10-episode CADENZA TV Series with RTHK.  As a public education programme, the objective is to help Hong Kong prepare for the challenges posed by an ageing population; to promote active ageing and project a positive public image of the older people.

The drama series focuses on second half of life covering a wide range of topics from health promotion, quality of life, work and retirement, living environment to bereavement and dying.

The series was developed alongside the six themes of CADENZA: (1) Health Promotion & Maintenance: Optimising Mental and Physical Functions; (2) Health & Social Services in Hong Kong; (3) The Living Environment; (4) Quality of Life & Quality of Dying; (5) Legal & Financial Issues; and (6) Ageism / Disparity.

 

 

Launch of the new Cadenza TV-series

12 July 2009

Launch of the new Cadenza TV-series

12 July 2009

 

For details, please visit

http://www.rthk.org.hk/special/cadenzatv2009/

 

 

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Recent representative publications

1.

Woo J, Suen EWC, Leung JCS, Tang NLS, Ebrahim S.  Older men with higher self-rated socioeconomic status have shorter telomeres.  Age & Ageing 2009; doi: 10.1093/ageing/afp098.

 

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Wong SY, Leung JC, Woo J.  A prospective study on the association between lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) and erectile dysfunction: results from a large study in elderly Chinese in southern China.  J Sex Med 2009; 6: 2024-2031.

 

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Ho SC, Chan A, Woo J, Chong P, Sham A.  Impact of caregiving on health and quality of life: A comparative population-based study of caregivers for elderly persons and noncaregivers.  J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 2009; 64A(8): 873-879.

 

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Chau PH, Yen E, Morley JE, Woo J.  The effects of environmental stressors on the mortality of the oldest old male population in Hong Kong, 1977-2006.  The Aging Male 2008; 11(4): 179-188.

 

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Woo J, Zhang XH, Ho S, Sham A, Tang Z, Fang XH.  Influence of different health-care systems on health of older adults: A comparison of Hong Kong, Beijing urban and rural cohorts aged 70 years and older.  Australasian Journal on Ageing 2008; 27(2): 83-88.

 

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Woo J, Ng SH, Chong AML, Kwan AYH, Lai S, Sham A.  Contribution of lifestyle to positive ageing in Hong Kong.  Ageing Int 2008; 32: 269-278.

 

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Woo J, Tang NLS, Suen E, Leung JCS, Leung PC.  Telomeres, Frailty.  Mechanisms of Ageing and Development 2008; 129: 642-648.

 

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Hui DS, Woo J, Hui E, Foo A, Ip M, To KW, Cheuk ES, Lam WY, Sham A, Chan PK.  Influenza-like illness in residential care ho mes: A study of the incidence, aetiological agents, natural history, and health resource utilization.  Thorax 2008; 63: 690-697.

 

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Woo J, Tang N, Suen E, Leung J, Wong M.  Green space, psychological restoration, and telomere length.  Lancet 2009; 373(9660): 299-300.

 

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Woo J, Lynn H, Leung J, Wong SY.  Self-perceived social status and health in older Hong Kong Chinese women compared with men.  Women & Health 2008; 48(2): 209-234.

 

11.

Lo RSK, Cheng JOY, Wong EMC, Tang WK, Wong LKS, Woo J, Kwok T.  Handicap and its determinants of change in stroke survivors: one-year follow-up study.  Stroke 2008; 39(1): 148-153.

 

12.

Woo J, Chan SY, Sum MWC, Wong E, Chui YPM.  In patient stroke rehabilitation efficiency: Influence of organization of service delivery and staff numbers.  BMC Health Services Research 2008; 8: 86.

 

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Highlights

Since 2006, Prof Jean Woo has been working with the Jockey Club Cadenza Project as Project Director, a collaborative project between the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, Faculty of Medicine CUHK and Faculty of Social Science HKU.  This is an initiative that aims to promote the image of the elderly as ¡§social growth¡¨ rather than a ¡§social problem¡¨; plan for the needs of the ¡§soon-to-be-old¡¨ whilst enhancing skills and services for the current old; devise new services in response to changing needs: train different levels of professionals and front-line workers involved in elderly work; encourage inter-generational understanding; and nurture academic leadership in social gerontology.  It consists of the following major components: community project, public education, research, training and nurturing of academic leadership.

 

For more details about the Cadenza Project, please visit

http://www.cadenza.hk

 

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