Senior Citizen Home Safety Association ("SCHSA") announced the launch of its new product, New MobileLink®. It is the latest in its suite of mobile devices that support its Care-on-Call Service and can help anyone regardless of age who may need emergency assistance when they go out. The use of New MobileLink® can help improve the quality of life for senior citizens aging in place.

Demand for SCHSA’s Care-on-Call Service has been increasing in recent years with new demand surpassing 10,000 users per annum. According to the latest forecasts from the HKSAR Government Census and Statistics Department, the elderly age groups that will see the fastest growth in the next five to ten years are first and foremost the 80-84 years old ( 60% increase in five years and 126% jump in ten years), followed by the 75-79 years old (40% increase in five years and 78% increase in ten years), and further followed by the 70-74 years old (26% increase in five years and 35% increase in ten years). These three age groups account for 60% of SCHSA’s new users in recent years and are expected to further rise in percentage going forward. 

In response to growing demand, SCHSA is introducing a new product called New MobileLink®, that was designed to be simple to use and easy to carry. With a single press, users will be connected to the 24/7 Care-on-Call Support Centre. New MobileLink® is equipped with location tracking, Vigilance Service, speed dial, and only receives calls from preset telephone numbers, avoiding scam calls. Additionally, users can insert JoyYou Card or Octopus Card to the back of New MobileLink® so that they can use the device not only to summon emergency assistance but also for public transportation or making payment. New MobileLink® is portable and wearable. It measures only 10.5cm x 6cm x 1.05cm and weighs around 70 grams. It can be worn around the neck or put in a pocket or handbag. It can be paired with a dedicated mobile APP that can be used by family members and caregivers to track users' real-time locations and receive instant notifications of users’ SOS requests. Preset phone numbers from friends and family can call into New MobileLink® for two-way communication with the user.

Ms. Maura Wong, Chief Executive Officer of SCHSA, stated, “The spirit behind New MobileLink® is ‘Shared Care’. With New MobileLink®, families and the Care-on-Call Service team can work together to provide ‘Shared Care’ for the elderly and anyone in need. We believe the ‘Shared Care’ model is the best model for providing optimal care outcomes without over-burdening the caregivers.”

Wong pointed out that New MobileLink® is not only for elderly use. Instead anyone with the need including schoolchildren can benefit from using it. With New MobileLink®, young school children do not have to bring mobile phones to school. In case of an emergency, they can use the device to call for help, talk to family members as well as the 24/7 Care-on-Call Support Centre and use location tracking. Parents can, via the APP, monitor their children's real time locations as well as location history remotely. In urgent situations, when a child presses the SOS button on New MobileLink®, parents will receive an instant notification on their APP. Using New MobileLink® for young school children’s safety is another good example of “Shared Care” between SCHSA and their parents.

Wong further expressed excitement about collaborating with Jimi IoT and Tencent to introduce New MobileLink® to Hong Kong. She also extended her gratitude to the Labour and Welfare Bureau for its support for gerontechnology. With advancement in technology, Wong believes that gerontech products need to cater for the masses. "One needs not have experience with smart devices in order to use New MobileLink®. We hope it will empower the elderly to feel more confident when they go out to meet their friends or take a stroll in the park, and also offer caregivers greater peace of mind."

SCHSA officially launched New MobileLink® on September 26. For more information, please visit SCHSA’s website at https://www.schsa.org.hk/tc/care-on-call-service-introduction/coc-nml or call 2952 7250. The press conference also featured remarks from Mr. Ho Kai-ming, JP, Under Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr. Gao Jie, Senior Product Manager of Tencent SSV, Mr. Gao Xingxin, Chairman of Jimi IoT, and Ms. Fung So Por, famous artist and the ambassador for New MobileLink®, who shared their insights about this new product.

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