Master of Social Sciences in Health and Social Services Management

In face of the intensifying ageing problem in Hong Kong, the government has, in recent years, stepped up its resource input to cope with the social welfare and healthcare needs of the elderly. Resources aside, our society also needs to expand our talent pool, in which people equipped with professional knowledge and skills can understand and take care of the needs of our elderly. Such knowledge and skills might be an understanding of the causes of dementia, the skills to take care of dementia patients, the ability to effectively promote community healthcare and the use of the increasingly popular gerontechnology, etc. To meet the demand of our ageing society, Lingnan University has launched MSocSc in Health and Social Services Management so that talents are trained up in the social welfare and healthcare services sectors, etc., to help our ageing population ‘age in a healthy way’.

‘The ageing population of Hong Kong is projected to see a growth from 17% in 2016 to 31% in 2036,’ Professor Chan Chak-kwan Dickson, Director of the Asia Pacific Institute of Ageing Studies (APIAS) notes. ‘This brings to issues such as the need to take care of an increasing number of elderly people, the need to find a solution for the surging elderly healthcare expenses, a rising manpower need of talents on elderly care, and the real-life difficulties faced by the elderly when they take care of themselves. Our social welfare and healthcare services sectors need to invest in more resources and talents to relieve these problems.’ In the meantime, while the community healthcare sector has taken the initiative to strengthen its development and promotion of gerontechnology, the talent demand in the relevant fields further drives up. As Professor Chan explains, for the myriad of problems relating to our increasing ageing population, physical and mental rehabilitation services provided by social workers, nurses and healthcare personnel can help prevent illnesses of the elderly, reduce frequencies of their hospitalization and curb the drain on healthcare resources. As for the initiative of community healthcare, the application of advanced technology can help support the elderly in meeting their daily needs, improving their quality of life and resolving the difficulties they encounter in their daily lives, while it can also help ease the burden of their caretakers.