With the ageing of the population, more people suffer from dementia. According to research conducted by the Department of Health and the Chinese University of Hong Kong in 2006, it is estimated that ten percent of elderly persons aged 65 or above in Hong Kong show symptoms of dementia.
In 1997, The Hong Kong Jockey Club (the Club) identified the care of elderly with dementia as an area that required urgent attention. The Club saw the need not only to provide quality service to dementia elderly but also to provide training for the carers, both formal and informal. With these aims in mind, the Club initiated the concept of a centre dedicated to improving the care of this group of older persons and invited The Chinese University of Hong Kong, which has played a leading role in dementia research and training in Hong Kong to help run the Centre. The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust fund approved a total of $81.23 million for the cost of renovation, furniture and equipment of the Jockey Club Centre for Positive Ageing and the operating cost in the first three years during which the Centre will work towards self-sufficiency, to provide quality service to the elderly with dementia.
The Jockey Club Centre for Positive Ageing (JCCPA) is a non-profit psychosocial organization dedicated to care for the elderly with mild or moderate dementia. It is sponsored by the Hong Kong Jockey Club and managed by the Chinese University of Hong Kong. The Centre was inaugurated in June 2000.