CAHMR Working Paper Series

Abstract: Water is vital for maintaining one’s life but dehydration is a prevalent condition among the elderly, particularly during and after admissions to hospitals and nursing homes. Elderlies are vulnerable to dehydration from risk factors such as age-related impairment, chronic diseases and medications. Dehydration among the elderly can be prevented by paying more attention to their fluid intake. Education and reminders to the elderly are also useful in encouraging them to maintain fluids intake. This review paper summarises some diagnostic measurements of dehydration among the elderly. Some recommendations to elderly carers are also suggested.

Abstract: Elderly can improve their well-being and achieve healthy ageing by utilising effective gerontechnology. There are some barriers and challenges that hinder the development and utilisation of gerontechnology in Hong Kong, including the inadequate awareness of the importance of technology in elderly healthcare, limited resources invested in the market, and lack of human resources. Hong Kong government has launched more funding schemes to encourage collaborations with different sectors including universities, research institutions, non-governmental organisations and businesses to participate in gerontechnology market. The development of gerontechnology is relatively small in Hong Kong and more efforts are needed to discover the potential in this market. This paper evaluates the current support for gerontechnology in Hong Kong and concludes with some recommendations on its future improvements.