Besides government funding, there are two philanthropic organisations constantly funding dementia research in Hong Kong: The Elderly Fund under Simon KY Lee Foundation and the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust.

Under Simon KY Lee Foundation, the Simon K. Y. Lee Elderly Fund was set up in 2007 with a mission to improve the well-being and quality of life of the elderly. It supports pioneering projects in areas of elderly care that are in critical need yet not well funded, seeking to address the problems via collaboration with the social welfare sector and the academia (Simon K.Y.Lee Foundation, 2020). This fund has committed itself to the area of dementia care and promotion of “Early Detection and Early Intervention”. Since 2008, it has funded a total amount of HK$20.9 millions to support research, service, and capacity building for academic institutions and NGOs.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club is a pioneer in caring for persons with dementia. In 2000, it established the Jockey Club Centre for Positive Ageing, Hong Kong’s first dementia care centre integrating research, training, and service. In 2006, The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust donated HK$380 millions and launched the project CADENZA: A Jockey Club Initiative for Seniors which aims at nurturing academic leaders in gerontology and shaping the attitudes of the general public through a range of training and public education programmes. This initiative has sponsored a wide range of research activities and social care service in relation to dementia throughout the years.  A one-stop integrated health and social care centre, the Jockey Club CADENZA Hub was under this initiative as well and it set up in 2011 (The Hong Kong Jockey Club, 2013).

References:

Simon K.Y.Lee Foundation. (2020). Elderly Projects.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club. (2013). Jockey Club funds Hong Kong’s first-ever mobile health checks for dementia.