In the face of stress, deteriorating health, lack of social engagement and other challenges, elderly and middle-aged persons are more susceptible to emotional distress, which affects their mental health and causes higher risk of depression and more serious illness conditions. To address the issue, The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust has approved more than HK$678 million to initiate and launch the “JC JoyAge” Project. The Project aims to address the social problem of elderly depression, enhance the capacity of professional and non-professional caregivers as well as raise public awareness on elderly mental health.

Through cross-sectoral collaboration, JC JoyAge provides a community-based support network for our older adults to enhance their resilience in facing the challenges of ageing. The service connects District Elderly Community Centres (“DECCs”) and Integrated Community Centres for Mental Wellness (“ICCMWs”) to establish a collaborative and integrated model to render standardised prevention and timely intervention services to those with depression and depressive symptoms according to their level of risk and symptoms severity, etc.

Project partners include The University of Hong Kong and 18 local non-governmental organisations, covering more than 70% of units providing district elderly services and community mental-health services. In response to changing mental health needs, from 2024 onwards, the project partnered with Wong Tai Sin District Health Centre, Southern District Health Centre and Sai Kung District Health Centre Express to strengthen social-medical collaboration in the community. This aims to provide more holistic mental-health support at the primary care level to a wider group of people aged 45 or above, helping to build a healthier community for all.