Hong Kong launches initiatives to support ageing in place, using AI and data
Hong Kong's Secretary for Labour and Welfare outlined plans to expand community care for the elderly, including public-private partnerships, AI-driven risk detection, and expanded home visits. The measures aim to support 'ageing in place' for seniors living alone or with partners.
Hong Kong's Secretary for Labour and Welfare on 5 November outlined a series of measures to support the government's policy of "ageing in place" for the city's elderly population, including greater use of artificial intelligence and data sharing to identify at-risk seniors.
Speaking during a legislative debate on a motion titled "Implementing 'Ageing in Place as the Foundation', Building an Age-Friendly Community", the secretary said the government would further leverage market forces through public-private partnerships to expand community care and support services. The Social Welfare Department would soon invite qualified operators to submit proposals to run a self-funded elderly day care centre in Lohas Park, Tseung Kwan O, expected to start operations in the second half of 2027.
On data sharing, the secretary said the government was actively advancing a social welfare data platform that would use AI and big data to identify high-risk individuals and families early, allowing for timely intervention. The platform would focus particularly on elderly residents living alone or with partners.
The government had begun a first phase of work in July 2025, integrating data from the Social Welfare Department and the Housing Authority to identify elderly residents in public housing who lacked community support, including those living alone, with partners, carers and disabled people. Home visits by the District Care Teams had expanded in March to cover high-risk households in buildings without property management. As of the end of September, the teams had contacted more than 36,300 high-risk households and made over 4,200 welfare service referrals.
The government had also linked data from the Social Welfare Department, Hospital Authority, Housing Authority and Housing Society to establish a notification mechanism. When a carer was hospitalised, the carer support hotline 182 183 would proactively reach out to provide services for those being cared for. By the end of September, the hotline had contacted over 10,500 carer cases, identifying five that required emergency support including meal assistance, home care and escort services.
Under a pilot scheme to install smart accident detection systems in high-risk households, 450 units had been fitted with the systems. By the end of September, the systems had successfully detected five home accidents, enabling timely support.
In his closing remarks, the secretary quoted a Chinese poem about enjoying life in old age, saying that through government leadership and investment, along with society's collective effort, the policy of ageing in place could be made more successful and sustainable.