IPA Affiliate Organizations

Hong Kong Psychogeriatric Association (HKPGA)

The Hong Kong Psychogeriatric Association (HKPGA) was founded in June 1998 by a group of mental health professionals working in the field of psychogeriatrics in Hong Kong. The organization’s objectives are to: 

• promote, through a multidisciplinary approach, the study and advancement of the science and practice of old age psychiatry, as well as the ancillary sciences and branches of medicine and health care; 
• further public education; 
• contribute to the improvement of mental health care for Hong Kong’s senior citizens; and
• collaborate with the relevant local and overseas organizations to achieve these objectives.

The founding and current President is Prof. Helen Chiu. Other officers are Dr. Siu-wah Li, Vice President; Mrs. Miranda Tung, Honorary Treasurer; and Dr. Wai-chi Chan, Honorary Secretary. We are honored to have a number of world renowned experts in psychogeriatrics as our advisors, including Prof. Tom Arie, Prof. CN Chen, Prof. Edmond Chiu, Prof. Jeffrey Cummings, Prof. E. Paykel, Prof. Barry Reisberg, and Prof. YC Shen. 

Membership in the Hong Kong Psychogeriatric Association is open to everyone who is interested in the mental care of the elderly. The organization currently has more than 200 members, including psychiatrists, geriatricians, nurses, psychologists, occupational therapists, social workers, and other specialists. 

One regular publication, the HKPGA Newsletter, is published every four months and is distributed to all our members and to other organizations involved in the care of older adults. With contributions from a number of local as well as overseas scholars, the newsletter has become a well-received publication dealing with psychogeriatrics in Hong Kong. 

Recently the Association established the HKPGA Research Awards, which aim to encourage and reward fine research projects in old age psychiatry. Three awards will be given each year to the best projects submitted. The prizes will be presented at the organization’s Annual Scientific Meeting.

Dr. Vivian Leung won the inaugural Hong Kong Psychogeriatric Association Pfizer Research Award for her submissions, “Validation of the Chinese Version of the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (CNPI)” and “Profile of Neuropsychiatric Disturbance of Demented Chinese Elderly in an Outpatient Clinic” (co-authors: Prof. Helen Chiu, Prof. .Linda Lam, Prof. Jeffrey Cummings, QL Chan, and Caroline Choy). The winner of the HKPGA Postgraduate Research Award was Ms. Irene Chan. Her submission was, “A Study of the Reliability and Validity of the Chinese Version of Dementia Rating Scale” (co-author: Dr Andrew Siu). 

The organization’s first mid-year scientific meeting was held on 9 June 2000. Prof. Edmond Chiu, Prof. Eric Caine and Prof. David Ames were keynote speakers at HKPGA’s second annual scientific meeting in November 2000. 

For additional information about membership or meetings, please contact Dr. Wai-chi Chan (Hon. Secretary), c/o Psychogeriatric Department, Castle Peak Hospital, 15 Tsing Chung Koon Road, Tuen Mun, N. T., Hong Kong SAR, China (Tel: +852.2456.8080, Fax: +852.2462.7480, Email: HKPGA@HongKong.com; Web: http://www.hkpga.org)

IPA Bulletin March 2001