The Polytechnic University and a charitable organisation, Food Angel, on Wednesday launched a pilot programme aimed at monitoring the health of 100 elderly people living in Sham Shui Po.

For years, Food Angel has been collecting surplus food from restaurants, hotels, and supermarkets, and turning them into nutritious meals for the needy.

It’s also been providing job opportunities to women from low-income families who are its beneficiaries, hiring them to make home visits and distribute meals.

As part of the pilot program, Food Angel has trained its staff to conduct basic health checks on elderly individuals – including measuring their blood pressure and blood oxygen levels, as well as pain index – while distributing lunch boxes to them.

The staff will then upload the health readings via a mobile app, for nurses from the Polytechnic University to monitor and follow up.

Dr Arkers Wong, an assistant professor from the university’s School of Nursing, said he hopes the programme can help to alleviate the burden on the local healthcare system.

"As Hong Kong's population is rapidly aging and chronic diseases are prevalent among the elderly, the burden on the local healthcare system is significant,” he said.

“This program will provide a more effective way of managing the health of the elderly through remote monitoring.”