Cheerful Court, Hong Kong

Project Selection

Cheerful Court may contain a number of the following features but it has been identified by the Steering Committee specifically because it:

The following project description combines information prepared by the Hong Kong Housing Society (HKHS),  information obtained from the HKHS website http://www.hkhs.com/ and from visits by consultant Roland Naufal and Kay Miller from Villa Maria.

Project Overview

Cheerful Court at Jordan Valley comprises 333 units in a mixed-use residential 24 storey high-rise building. The 254 one-bedroom flats and 79 studio flats are designed to support ageing in place, incorporating specialised ‘software’ and ‘hardware’ elements to cover the recreational, social and care services for residents.

Why is Cheerful Court an innovative project?

Cheerful Court has many of the features of the Dutch Apartments for Life buildings in an Asian setting. The apartments are designed to support ageing place and many elements of the building are used by the general community including the restaurant, ground floor, community hall and shop, rehabilitation centre and spa. The auspice organisation runs seminars and special programs that encourage people to come into the centre from the community.

Built Environment

The building’s podium contains social and recreational facilities; ancillary, medical and therapy services as well as retail shopping. In an effort to allow the inclusion of social, recreational and therapeutic services in the design of the building, the facility incorporates:

A polyclinic, including herbal medicine services

Restaurants with private family rooms

Hydrotherapy and fitness facilities incorporating exercise both inside and outside

A beautician and hairdresser

Games and activity spaces

A library

A hall for community meetings and outreach programs

The units are in configurations of bed-sit and one bed apartments. Apartments are functional but small by Australian standards, 35sqm for one bedroom. There are no corridors and apartments have a well-planned bathroom that has shower doors that can be removed to give a step-less shower area.

Lift and stair cores have been separated into three clusters to optimise resident and staff participation and serviceability. Landscaped gardens are provided on the podium and on the ‘sky terraces,’ as secure and quiet recreational and therapy spaces.  The built environment is intended to provide strong linkages to the community for the integration of day services.

Service Model

Cheerful Court was built in response to an increased demand in Hong Kong for housing for older people that would support ageing in place.  Residents are encouraged and provided with resources to live independently in the self-contained facility. Residents have a key for their front door and a “safety watch” that gives them access to other areas as well as acting as a personal alarm.

There is an emphasis on retaining mobility and physical activity with one floor having a fitness room, swimming and hydrotherapy pool. There are Tai Chi wheels to allow residents to continue with Tai Chi even if their balance isn’t good. Staff are employed for the gym and the pool and run classes for residents and the local community.  Fit balls and a small putting green are also available along with a multi-purpose room where people congregate to read the newspapers and for other activities.

Residents pay a monthly fee which covers basic care provided by Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui Welfare Council. At an extra cost, residents may also receive additional services such as:

Professional medical and nursing care

Outpatient consultation

Integrated nursing care

Catering

Home and personal care services

The building incorporates a fee for service medical centre that is very busy. The centre includes facilities from basic medical services to laser optics and traditional Chinese medicine.

Cheerful Court residents are also given priority access to the on-site intensive care unit. This facility (which would be called residential care in Australia) provides 57 beds in shared rooms of up to six people, for respite or long stay care should the need to move arise.

Who the Project Serves

Cheerful Court is open to people aged 60 and over. All tenants must have permanent residency in Hong Kong, with the exception of those who are moving in with a spouse who is a permanent resident. The apartments are for middle income plus, there are no rental apartments in the complex. There is currently a two-year waiting list for entry to Cheerful Court.

Funding Sources

Cheerful Court is part of the Senior Citizens Residences (SEN) Scheme which was pioneered in 1999 by the Hong Kong Housing Society and Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui Welfare Council. The scheme adopts the concepts of ‘Housing with Care’ and ‘Ageing in Place’ to provide housing for middle-income residents of Hong Kong aged 60 and above, both single and couple, on a ‘user pays’ basis.

Units are provided under a ‘long lease’ arrangement. Residents pay an entry contribution that is adjusted with the entry age. This contribution, including an interest sum, is partially refunded upon termination of the tenancy, depending on the length of occupation. Residents do not pay rent, although they pay a monthly management fee to cover the cost of basic services.

Project Auspice

Management of the building is split. The Hong Kong Housing Society manages the tenancy arrangements whilst the care provider looks after asset management and provision of services.

The Hong Kong Housing Society was founded in 1948 in response to the housing crisis following the end of the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong and subsequent influx of refugees. Since its inception, the Housing Society has aimed to provide affordable housing and related services for the people of Hong Kong. The Housing Society works particularly in the gap between the private market and the government, carrying out all activities with either their own financial resources or in partnership with the government.