Kiang Wu Nursing College of Macau has been for years getting prepared for the crucial challenge of population aging facing the society of Macau. Apart from a number of related nursing programmes having been running over the past twenty years and more, series of research projects have also been developed, such as “Research on the Long-Term Care Needs of the Elderly in Macao”, “The Perception of the Medical, Health and Integrated Service Needs by the Older Persons of the Northern District in Macau”, “A Study on User Feedback in Macau “Peng On Tung” Safety Connection Service”, etc. In order to respond to the government of Macao SAR’s policy on the elderly, the College is currently planning to design a “Project of Education System to tackle an Aging Society”. A visit was taken a few days ago by KWNC’s project crew to The Nethersole School of Nursing CUHK in order to seek advice on launching the project and discuss on future collaborative items between the two institutions.

Prof. Diana T. F. Lee, Director of The Nethersole School of Nursing firstly praised the KWNC graduates currently pursuing in nursing master’s degree programme in CUHK for having achieved good performance. KWNC in return thanked CUHK for sending Assoc. Prof. Sek Ying Chair to take the appointment of external examiner to help enhance the quality of College programmes and appreciated their support and assistance to the “Macau Journal of Nursing” for years.

With rich experience in pushing forward elderly care among the general public and enhancing the quality of life among elderly people, the Chinese University of Hong Kong is participating in a five-year project entitled "CADENZA: A Jockey Club Initiative for Seniors" predominated by the Hong Kong Jockey Club charities Trust and in collaboration with the University of Hong Kong. In presentation of the project operation at the meeting, Associate Professor Doris S. F. Yu emphasized that “CADENZA”, composed of a cross-subject professional team, is aiming to train different levels of professionals and front-line workers involved in elderly service by offering gerontology programmes. The programme design has to go through rigorous procedures, from drafting, internal amendment to external specialist’s feedback and evaluation. Director Lee also indicated that the project’s successful factors lie on an integrated publicity platform to be constructed with joint participation of the three sides, including government, non-government communities and project investors. Moreover, the university professors’ participation in the project planning and management, their approaching the communities and making assessment to the educational training courses required are also key factors for “CADENZA” to show its cross-professionalism and intensification of academic workforce.

With the affirmative support of Director Lee, by referring to the Hong Kong experience, Kiang Wu Nursing College of Macau has proposed to launch a precursory project of Alzheimer’s treatment and prevention while establishing Macau Alzheimer’s Disease Association in coordination with Macau’s social development. At the initial stage, staff members can be sent to take relevant courses involving Alzheimer’s disease in Hong Kong as well as to engage management for training of professionals in this respect. Besides, Macau’s own publicity platform can be built up in conjunction with the practical situation of the College and Macau communities while in coordination with every activity project developed by non-government communities; meanwhile, the project management framework is also established to play an instructive role. It is expected that thinking for change can be attained in the course of education linking to Macau’s resources, and the entire project which creates a study community of “Teaching, research, service” combination could be completed within five years, so that the ideas of “Age in Place” and “enhancement of each resident’s quality of life” advocated by the government of Macau SAR can be pushed forward and put into practice and finally to build a harmonious society.