Media

CADENZA Community Project: AIMS-Active Interest Mentorship Scheme helps improve quality of life after retirement

10 Apr 2012

Every year about 60,000 working adults in Hong Kong enter retirement. Due to the influence of the 1950s baby boom, the retirement population will peak around 2018, when up to 300,000 people will leave work within a few years.

Successful adjustment to retirement is the crucial first step to quality aging. On the other hand, poor adjustment is a major risk factor for mental health problems such as depression and anxiety. Therefore adjustment and preparation to retirement is a major social issue. However, because of limited resources, most corporations can only provide basic preparation such as leaflets or one-off seminars for soon-to-retire employees. In order to promote a behavioural change for retirement preparation, practical support along with universal and cost-effective strategies are required.

In response to the challenge, The University of Hong Kong and Hong Kong Christian Service jointly launched a two-year project, CADENZA Community Project: AIMS - Active Interest Mentorship Scheme in 2011, funded by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust. By introducing a mentorship intervention model, individuals who will retire soon or have just retired are assisted to develop active interests, participating in interactive and meaningful activities to derive satisfaction and motivation for a healthy and positive retired life.

After the first batch of mentorship training in June 2011, 27 mentors who completed the programme were matched with 48 soon-to-retire mentees. For each trained mentor, one to two mentees were assigned and on-going meetings and supervision provided. Mentees received encouragement and support and were assisted to develop active interests before retirement.

The Research Project Director of AIMS, CADENZA Fellow, Assistant Professor of the Department of Social Work and Social Administration at The University of Hong Kong, Dr Ng Siu Man reported the preliminary results of AIMS today (10 April). He emphasised the importance of developing and continuing active interests in retirement in order to maintain overall physical and mental health. Active interests also improve the sense of worth, level of life enjoyment, and social connection. The strategic model of AIMS is to train up retired people to become mentors so that they can facilitate soon-to-retire people to develop active interests. Mentees who adjust well after retirement can join the programme as a mentor, making retired people valuable social assets.

To provide a comparison of their self-esteem, life satisfaction, physical and mental health between the time of joining and four months after joining the programme, 25 soon-to-retire mentees completed questionnaires at two time points up to the end of February this year. Results indicated that the mentees had stable mental health, without signs of deterioration in the process of retirement. There was also a significant improvement in their physical health, and about 70% of them developed new active interests. Over 50% of them reported that they received adequate support and encouragement from mentors through (1) sharing active interest information; (2) care, concern and listening with patience, and (3) sharing of retirement experiences. About 50% of the mentees planned to become a mentor in the coming year.

Four of the participants, Mr Albert Wong, Mr George Yeung, Ms Connie Chan and Ms Georgiana Cheung shared their views on the benefits of joining AIMS at today's press conference. They remarked that AIMS offered encouragement and training through the well-adjusted retirees who had been trained as mentors, enabling mentees to develop positive and optimistic views towards retirement preparation and different active interests. They had made many new friends, enlarged their social exposure, and developed new lifestyles for a prosperous and meaningful retired life.

To further investigate the benefits of the programme for retirees, AIMS is recruiting more people who will retire soon or have just retired to participate in the research project. All mentees are required to complete four sets of questionnaires, for assessing their quality of life before and after retirement, and the impact of AIMS on them. A four-session mentorship training will be provided at the end of May for well-adjusted retired people who are interested in becoming a mentor of AIMS.

The Consultant to the Employee Development Service of the Hong Kong Christian Service, Mr Anthony Guen announced that AIMS will hold the First Hong Kong Active Interest Expo on 15 April from 11 am to 5 pm, in East Point City, Tseung Kwan O. The Expo includes active interest performances, sharing of retired life experiences as well as active interest promotional booths. All are welcome.

About CADENZA: A Jockey Club Initiative for Seniors

CADENZA: A Jockey Club Initiative for Seniors is launched and funded by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust in light of the rapidly aging population.  It is a HK$380 million project in partnership with the Faculty of Social Sciences of The University of Hong Kong and the Faculty of Medicine of The Chinese University of Hong Kong.  The project aims at creating an elder-friendly environment in Hong Kong to foster positive community attitude towards ageing and continuously improve the quality of care and quality of life of older people.  CADENZA has four major components: public education, community projects, training, and leadership training programme and research. Details of CADENZA are available at http://www.cadenza.hk/.

Enquiries: Trinni Choy Pui Ying, Assistant Director (Media), Communications & Public Affairs Office, The University of Hong Kong (tel: 2859 2606, email: pychoy@hku.hk)