Kiang Wu Nursing College of Macau (KWNC) hosted the ‘17th World Congress on Long Term Care in Chinese Communities’ from 26th to 28th October 2023, and the event was sponsored by the Social Welfare Bureau and the Hong Kong Yuen Yuen Institute, with the objective of encouraging exchanges and collaborations for long-term care in the Chinese communities and offering new train of thoughts for increasingly severe gerontological issues.
The Opening Ceremony of the Congress was held on the 26th October at the Islands District Medical Complex Campus, and more than 500 long term care experts and scholars from Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan attended the Congress. Simultaneously, there was a live stream of the event.
KWNC President Van Iat Kio expressed that, amid KWNC 100th Anniversary, the College organised the Congress for the third time, which is particularly meaningful in promoting nursing education and long-term care development. She also indicated that domains involved in long term care are extensive, and Chinese communities face challenges of an ageing population, and changes in family structure and social values. All these generate new demands for long term care. She also believed that the Congress could build up novel momentum for long-term care affairs in Chinese communities.
As one of the officiating guests, Social Welfare Bureau Acting Director Hoi Va Pou recognised that Macao has the social development condition of an ageing population, consequently the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) Government has constantly established service measures for seniors. She also hoped that this Congress would benefit Macao sectors such as healthcare and social service, while participants can utilise what is learnt in the Congress in their future work and contribute to the older adult service sector.
Other officiating guests, such as Federation on Long Term Care in Chinese Communities Chairman Leung Man Fuk and Secretary General Tang Sai Hung both hoped that this Congress could enhance the Chinese communities’ senior care services and with concerted efforts, safeguard the long-term care industry that possesses distinctive Chinese culture.
The‘17th World Congress on Long Term Care in Chinese Communities’ consisted of three days of activities. KWNC invited prestigious scholar and management keynote speakers from the United Kingdom, Indonesia, Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan. With the theme ‘Challenges and Strategies for Post-Pandemic Era Long Term Care Services’, there were 15 keynote lectures, seven parallel sessions with 50 scholars exchanged their ideas regarding seven themes, namely ‘Infection Control’, ‘Policies for Seniors’, ‘Family Support’, ‘Smart Senior Care’, ‘Dementia Care’, ‘Life and Death Education’, and ‘Innovative Practices’, etc.
During the last day of the Congress, five field trip routes were established, and participants were shown around local long-term care institutions and life education venues in order to let them gain further insights into the latest developments in long-term care services of Macao.