As Hong Kong navigates through recovery after the pandemic, social isolation remains to be significant among seniors in the aging population. The Jockey Club Intergenerational Engagement Project (the Project), a project under the Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care (JCSPHPC), has been striving to explore multiple solutions to the issue, particularly via enhancing intergenerational communication and inclusion. 3 years since the start of the Project, representatives from the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, Tung Wah Group of Hospitals, and The Chinese University of Hong Kong gathered to share the Project findings and celebrate its success.

During the event, Prof Eliza Wong Lai Yi, Centre Associate Director (Research) of The Centre for Health Systems and Policy Research, and Associate Director (Teaching and Learning) & Professor of CUHK offered a detailed sharing on the Project’s background, methods, and results. Since the recruitment of the 1st participant cohort in 2022, the Project has brought together more than 400 community-dwelling elders at risk of social isolation, matching each with a middle-aged person and a CUHK student. The Board Game “Healthy Ageing in Dialogue” co-developed by Prof Eliza Wong and TWGHs was subsequently introduced as an effective and interactive communication tool between the elderly and the youth. Prof Wong concluded her presentation with compelling findings from the research, indicating that intergenerational engagement is a key facilitator to reducing social isolation among seniors.

The event as well featured a short documentary film about elderly social isolation.  Three participants of the Project delved into their inspiring experiences throughout the programme, explaining how the Project has transformed their attitudes, boosted their confidence in intergenerational communication, as well as how the Project enhanced their own quality of life in various ways.