Charting 50 years of geriatric medicine in Hong Kong: a legacy of care for older adults

Geriatric medicine in Hong Kong has evolved over the past five decades into a comprehensive specialty that integrates acute hospital care, rehabilitation, day hospitals, community outreach, and interspecialty collaboration.Beginning with the establishment of the first geriatric wards at Princess Margaret Hospital in 1975, the specialty expanded through the founding of the Hong Kong Geriatrics Society in 1981, the launch of the Community Geriatric Assessment Service in 1994, and the development of innovative programmes including the Hospital Admission Risk Reduction Programme for the Elderly in 2006, and the Integrated Discharge Support Programme in 2008.Advances in undergraduate curricula, postgraduate diplomas, and international collaborations positioned Hong Kong among the first centres in Asia to establish geriatric specialist services.Today, most public hospitals provide geriatric care, supported by 236 geriatric specialists and 27 trainees.Looking ahead, priorities in adding 'life to years' include frailtyinformed care, data-driven medicine, end-of-life support, dementia diagnostics, and stronger integration across hospitals, primary care, and community.