簡介
Listen to #Hashtag Hong Kong every Sunday morning at 8.15
Focussing on issues affecting civil society, we'll hear from representatives of NGOs, associations, statutory bodies, and non-profit groups.
(Sundays 8.15am - 8.25am)
最新
Wing Yi, Senior Programme Officer at Hands on Hong Kong
How can I get involved in supporting older people in my community? It’s a question that gets asked often, but not enough if we’re being honest with ourselves.
Just saying any one of the words used to describe this population – “elderly” “ageing” “seniors” can evoke a sense of respect and care – or for many – pity and misunderstanding.
In Hong Kong, the elderly population is increasing rapidly. By 2030, it's estimated that one in every five residents will be 65 or older. This demographic shift brings with it a host of challenges—healthcare, social isolation, and financial insecurity are just the tip of the iceberg. Our aging population faces challenges that are both urgent and complex, and it’s time we shine a spotlight on these issues.
Education and awareness are key. We must engage the younger generation, encouraging them to understand and empathise with the struggles of our elderly. Initiatives that promote intergenerational bonding, like community outings and volunteer programs, can bridge the gap. Imagine a young person spending time with an elder, learning life lessons and sharing experiences. Providing companionship and connection. It’s a win-win.
HandsOn developed Generation Connect – a program that pairs up an isolated elderly person with a volunteer family. A 2023 Research Report on the Needs of Grassroots Elderly Households, found that less than 10% of low-income elderly receive regular care from their children. Over half of the elderly we support live alone. The bustling city of Hong Kong, with all its vibrancy, can feel incredibly lonely for those who are disconnected from their communities.
With strong partnership from the Hong Kong Club Foundation, we’ve been running Generation Connect for four years, and have supported 296 vulnerable elderly. Each of these receives love and care from a child and their parent or carer.
This program fosters environments where our elderly have access to caring volunteer supporters. Seniors can engage, share stories, and feel valued. Just recently our volunteer families and their elderly buddies took part in a craft-making workshop together. In the past, they’ve taken trips to the theatre, the farm, and museums.
For some, it’s been the volunteers who have responded to their healthcare needs – helping to book doctor appointments, collect prescriptions, and in one instance being the warm face by their hospital bedside during a more severe health concern. Sometimes, advocating on behalf of an elderly person – helping them to gain access to financial aid, reduce hospital or housing waiting times that they face, or simply raising awareness about their rights and needs within the community is what goes the furthest. We owe this to a generation that has given so much to our city. It’s time we give them something back.
So what can you do? HandsOn is looking for more volunteers to support local elderly individuals – these could be parents and children, or teens who just want to help and gain something too. We realise that no matter the age, connecting generations is the powerful thing about it.
We’re looking for Cantonese, English or Mandarin speakers who can join a six-month program filled with meaningful activities. Volunteers will commit to sharing weekly phone calls, monthly activities, shopping trips and outings with this special group. It’s all supported by HandsOn, and you’ll be part of a wider community of families who are doing the same thing. Find us at handsonhongkong.org.
I’d like to thank our volunteers – all 381 of them who have accompanied us on this shared path already, and invite many more of you to do the same. Together we can not only enrich their lives but also our own.
The song I'd like to request is Al Jolson’s “Sonny Boy” , a dedication to a HandsOn colleague’s Grandpa Ronnie who we said goodbye to this week.
重溫
Dr Matthew Cheung, Chiropractor Consultant, Children Chiropractic Foundation
Hello, Chiropractic health is essential for children’s health. It starts with detecting their vertebral subluxation from early childhood through posture analysis (including scoliosis, round back, high/low shoulder, forward head posture, and forward pelvic tilt) and detailed chiropractic examination. We strengthen the maintenance of spinal and nerve health through regular chiropractic adjustment and spinal exercise to enhance the efficacy of the nervous system which will help children live healthily and realize their potential.
The COVID-19 pandemic did significant damage to children’s spinal health, largely because they were moving much less. At the same time, schools were closed hence more reliant on electronic devices for Zoom classes and entertainment which unfortunately has led to addiction. We found 31.82% of kids spent more than 3 hours daily within the evaluated group which is 6 times more than the data in 2019 (5.49% in 2019 to 31.82% in 2022*). This combined with poor posture has led to increased occurrence of postural problems and vertebral subluxation, thus causing pain conditions, which include headache, chest pain, shoulder and ankle pain, lower back pain, and numbness.
According to our surveyed record, 66.7% of children suffering from scoliosis in having pain conditions, traceable to spinal disorders. A vertebral subluxation can put physical pressure on the spinal nerves and nervous system, causing various further disorders such as more aching, appetite loss, attention deficit, coordination issues, and respiratory problems.
Statistics for 2019 and 2023 all show general increases in various postural problems including scoliosis, round back, high/low shoulder, forward head posture, and forward pelvic tilt. In 2019, around 79% (5373/6807kids) of kids had spinal problems, it was close to 90% (5673/6313kids) in 2023. It indicates that the problems are getting more serious.
Our data showed that suspected scoliosis had the biggest rise in occurrence within the evaluated group from 23.95% (1489/6807 kids) in 2019 to 28.31% in 2021(2347/8290 kids). In addition, the number of school children with suspected scoliosis has approximately doubled, from 34.3% in 2022(4340, incomplete data) to 60.8% in 2023(3702/6087 kids).
Suspected scoliosis among kindergartners has approximately doubled between 2022 and 2023, and the proportion of 3 to 5-year-olds we surveyed with suspected scoliosis increased from 14% to 55.5 , more than three times. This increasing prevalence of spinal problems in young children is very concerning.
Particularly we want to draw your attention to underprivileged children. We have provided detailed chiropractic examinations in 2021 for 13 children living in subdivided units who did not receive chiropractic exams and adjustments before and during the epidemic respectively. The examination found that their round-back problems all showed a worsening trend, and the proportion of people with round-back problems also increased sharply from 50% to 76.9%.% Cramped living conditions of low-income families living in subdivided flats provide limited space to stretch out and exercise, leading to the spinal problems we often deal with. Compared with the general school children, the proportion of children in subdivided units with round-back problems is 9.9% more.
We are keen on raising the awareness of spinal health through a series of projects, including the “Straighten Up School Scheme” supported by The Community Chest, serving 436 schools that provide outreach spinal education services so as help kids to build up healthy spine lifestyles.
Our regular Students Chiropractic Care Program provides those under 18 with free posture checkups that fill in for the government’s services gap causing the government first-time scoliosis screening for students at Primary 5 or 10 years old and only continue regular screening every two years.
Children Complimentary Chiropractic Adjustment Program is geared towards the underprivileged and provides chiropractic detailed exam and adjustment specifically for students living in subdivided flats, from families covered by the Comprehensive Social Security Assistance Scheme.
Apart from our work, we think the government should have done more. Now the public service is not enough to address the actual needs, we recommend the service provide scoliosis screening earlier at 8 years old, continue regular testing once a year instead of two years, shorten waiting time between X-ray examinations and follow-up appointments and also need to reinforce the public education on children spine health to increase the parents’ awareness on spinal nerves.
We suggest the public should pay attention to:
1 Maintain kids' spinal health by taking them to receive regular checkups every six months and chiropractic adjustments if necessary.
2 Perform stretching and strengthening exercises and straighten-up exercises daily.
3 Build up a “Dynamic posture” lifestyle by changing posture or doing 1-2 minutes of exercise every 30-40 minutes daily.
4 Parents should pay more attention to observing kids' postural and health conditions, not to easily mistake potential scoliosis for just bad posture habits, leaving problems untreated.
This morning we would like to dedicate “企好” by “GIN LEE ” to all of you listening.
Enjoy and thank you.
