The Anthropawlogist

Ageing Timeline

As a former history student, making timeline has always been something I loved doing. This living timeline brings together key dates, events and statistics I encountered throughout my literature review and anthropological fieldwork. This particular document primarily focuses on Hong Kong but I may expand upon it to include the Greater Bay Area. This timeline is intended primarily as a working reference for my own research, but I would be delighted if it also proves useful to others interested in ageing studies.

Disclaimer* Citations accompanying timeline entries merely indicate where I encountered the details of the entry, not necessarily their original source or first use.

1961

  • Fluoridation of water (Department of Health, n.d.).

1981

  • Life expectancy = ♂ 72.3 and ♀ 78.5 (Fong & Tong, 2024: 3).

1986

  • The Ottawa Charter for health promotion was drawn up focusing on 5 main health promotion action measures (Fong & Tong, 2024: 10):
    ① Build healthy public policy
    ② Create supportive environment
    ③ Strengthen community actions
    ④ Develop personal skills
    ⑤ Reorient health services

1994

  • Total fertility rate = 1.355 (Fong & Tong, 2024: 3).
  • The Senior Citizen Card 長者咭 was lauched (Fong & Tong, 2024: 16).

1996

  • The Senior Citizen Home Safety Association 長者安居協會 was founded to provide 24-hour emergency support through the Call and Care (平安鐘) service (Senior Citizen Home Safety Association, n.d.)

1997

  • The Elderly Commission 安老事務委員會 was established (Fong & Tong, 2024: 12).

1998

  • The Elderly Health Service (EHS) 長者健康服務 was established in 1998 under the Government Department of Health with 18 Elderly Health Centres 長者健康中心 (EHC) and 18 Visiting Health Teams 長者健康外展分隊 (VHT). It enhances primary healthcare by minimising illness and disability (Fong & Tong, 2024: 20).

2001

  • Old age dependency ratio = 154/1000 (Fong & Tong, 2024: 4).
  • The Elderly Commission launched the Healthy Ageing Campaign 「康健樂頤年」運動 and aimed to:
    ① Promote personal responsibility (neoliberal af…)
    ② Strengthen community action
    ③ Create supportive environments
    ④ Improve the image of ageing

2003

  • WHO released “Active ageing: A Policy Framework”, defining active ageing as “the process of optimising opportunities for health, participation, and security in order to enhance quality of life as people age” (Fong & Tong, 2024: 9).

2003

  • Total fertility rate = 0.901 (Fong & Tong, 2024: 3).

2006

  • The U3A Network of Hong Kong 香港第三齡學苑 was established, funded by the Hong Kong Electric Centenary Trust 港燈百週年紀念基金 and administered by the Hong Kong Council of social Service 香港社會服務聯會 (HKCSS) (Fong & Tong, 2024: 17).

2007

  • The Elder Academy Scheme 長者學苑 was launched (Fong & Tong, 2024: 17).
  • The District-based Carer Training Scheme 護老培訓地區計劃 was launched, aimed to train volunteers to serve as elder sitters who can provide support and respite to informal elder carers (Fong & Tong, 2024: 18).

2009

  • The Elder Academy Development Foundation 長者學苑發展基金 was established (Fong & Tong, 2024: 17).
  • The Health Care Voucher Scheme 醫療劵計劃 was launched. It provides annual non-public primary healthcare service vouchers to eligible older adults over 65. The current voucher amount is HK$2,000 per year with a ceiling of accumulated funds at HK$8,000 (Fong & Tong, 2024: 27).
  • The Elderly Vaccination Subsidy Scheme 長者疫苗資助計劃 was launched. It provides those over 65 with a subsidy of HK$260 per dose to get seasonal influ shots from enrolled private doctors, plus a subisdy of HK$400 per dose for 23vPPV and HK$800 per dose for PCV13 (Fong & Tong, 2024: 27).

2011

  • Old age dependency ratio = 177/1000 (Fong & Tong, 2024: 4).
  • Life expectancy = ♂ 80.3 and ♀ 86.7 (Fong & Tong, 2024: 3).

2012

  • Government Public Transport Fare Concession Scheme for the Elderly and Eligible Persons with Disabilities (The $2 Scheme) was launched (Fong & Tong, 2024: 16).
  • The Ageing-in-Place Scheme 安居傳耆 –「樂得耆所」居家安老計劃 was piloted in Cho Yiu Estate. The scheme, under the Hong Kong Housing Society (HKHS), supported ageing in place through a three-pronged service model comprising home modification and maintenance, integrated health and social care support, and community engagement (Fong & Tong, 2024: 73-74).

2014

  • Additional funds was injected into the Elder Academy Development Foundation (Fong & Tong, 2024: 17).
  • Diamond Leisure 鑽的休娛 was Launched by Diamond Cab. It organised wheelchair-accessible leisure outings for older adults, enabling residents of care homes to visit community attractions, reduced social isolation, and promoted accessible, age-friendly tourism (Diamond Cab (Hong Kong) Limited, n.d.).

2016

  • The Ageing-in-Place Scheme 安居傳耆 –「樂得耆所」居家安老計劃 was extended to all 20 rental housing estates under HKHS (Fong & Tong, 2024: 73-74).

2018

  • The number of people over 64 surpassed the number of children under five for the first time in history (Ritchie & Rose, 2019).
  • 0.9% of older people lived in elderly homes and other types of institutions (Fong & Tong, 2024: 69).

2019

  • Life expectancy = ♂ 82.2 and ♀ 88.1 (Fong & Tong, 2024: 3).
  • Total fertility rate = 1..051 (Fong & Tong, 2024: 3).
  • Median age = 45.5. It is projected to rise to 52.5 by 2039 and 57.4 by 2069 (Fong & Tong, 2024: 3).

2020

  • > 65 constituted 19.1% of the whole population (Fong & Tong, 2024: 65).
  • Tenant population > 60 reached 40% of the whole public estates’ population (Fong & Tong, 2024: 65).

2021

  • Old age dependency ratio = 282/1000 (Fong & Tong, 2024: 4).

2022

  • Government Public Transport Fare Concession Scheme for the Elderly and Eligible Persons with Disabilities (The $2 Scheme) lowered the age of eligibility from 65 to 60 (Fong & Tong, 2024: 16).

References:

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