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payments prior to receiving any grant. This can pose cash gerontech products that can be directly used at home. There 2
flow problems to service operators and even deter interested remains a huge gap within the gerontech ecosystem, namely
applicants from applying in the first place. Therefore, we that end-users living in the community are provided with
Demand-side
recommend that the Social Welfare Department modify the little incentive and support to procure gerontech. This leads
requirement of submitting a contract or agreement with to three significant problems—one of social consequence, one of
the working partner prior to the dissemination of funding. economic consequence, and one of policy consequence.
Specifically, the successful applicant should at least be allocated
the first instalment of funding prior to the signing of any contract From a social perspective, individual end-users miss out on the
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or agreement. potential benefits brought about by gerontech, as the preventive
and rehabilitative nature of many products can help them
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2.2 Elderly living in the community stay healthier and more active in the community for longer.
From an economic perspective, because these end-users
Perhaps the largest challenge currently facing Hong Kong’s
effectively represent 90% of the market, their lack of active
gerontech ecosystem is helping end-users in the community
market participation significantly hinders the potential economic
to access and use gerontech. As mentioned in the overview of
development of the local gerontech industry. From a policy
this section, around 90% of elderly live in domestic households,
perspective, while it is well-established that public investment
compared to the approximate 10% who live in institutions. Yet 32
into community care results in cost-saving from acute care, the
the Government’s primary gerontech-related spending—the
Government’s lack of financial assistance for end-users living at
$1 billion I&T Fund—mainly benefits institutions. This may be
home to procure gerontech means missing out on another way
insufficient in helping the Government’s goal of ageing-in-place.
to help them avoid institutionalisation.
To a certain extent, end-users living in the community do benefit
from the $1 billion I&T Fund, as elderly and rehabilitation service
units providing CCS are also eligible to purchase and rent
gerontech products (SWD I&T Fund Manual, 2021). But allowing
CCS service units to procure gerontech is not the same thing
as helping end-users in the community individually procure

30 Approved applicants already provide at least one quotation during the application stage.
31 For example, elderly who use fall risk prevention devices not only minimises their risk of severe injury; it will also help caregivers have less psychological and emotional
burden about the elderly’s personal safety. A person with hearing impairment who has access to enhanced hearing devices may be more able to participate in daily activities
within their community.
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For every HKD 1 invested into community health, there is a HKD 8.4 saving on acute care costs (OHKF, 2018).
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