Smart training aids rehabilitation

Seventy-year-old Mr Lau has been experiencing difficulty walking ever since he suffered a stroke last year. After having another stroke earlier this year, he is currently participating in the Pok Oi Hospital “Jockey Club Smart Geriatric Day Hospital Project”, which enables patients to undergo physiotherapy and occupational therapy at home or in their residential care homes for the elderly as part of their rehabilitation.

Making progress: Mr Lau does therapeutic exercises twice a day at the care home to accelerate his recovery after suffering from strokes last year and this year. Image source: www.news.gov.hk

“I do exercises in the morning and afternoon,” he said. “I am quite hardworking because I want to recover soon. I have made progress with some of the activities, such as the dressing exercise, which trains my hand to lift higher. I used to feel pain when moving my right hand, but now I do not.”

He was also enthusiastic about a hiking routine that has enhanced his mobility. “At first, I needed to rest partway through, but now I can complete the entire route at once.”

Greater convenience

The programme allows elderly residents to undergo rehabilitation in familiar surroundings without the need for lengthy and tiring hospital trips. Lydia Au, a manager at the care home where Mr Lau resides, said the initiative helps residents to stay active and engaged during recovery.

“With the tablet provided by the hospital, they can now do the exercises any time they want and complete them on their own, which builds their confidence and sense of achievement. The programme was launched after an assessment confirmed our care home environment was suitable.”

More convenient: Lydia Au, a manager at the care home where Mr Lau resides, explains that tele‑rehabilitation reduces the need for care home residents to undertake lengthy and tiring trips to hospital. Image source: www.news.gov.hk

Smart technologies

Pok Oi Hospital launched the “Jockey Club Smart Geriatric Day Hospital Project” with $14 million in funding from the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, after being included on the Chief Executive’s Community Project List.

The funding supports the adoption of a smart training model that incorporates virtual reality, augmented reality and tele-rehabilitation technologies at the facility’s geriatric day hospital. The approach allows patients to train remotely without the need for frequent hospital visits.

Patients’ performance data are uploaded to a digital platform, enabling healthcare professionals to monitor progress and design personalised rehabilitation plans. Since the project was launched last year, approximately 350 patients have benefited, with the number of patients treated increasing by more than 20% year on year.

Accelerated recovery: Pok Oi Hospital Chief of Service of Department of Medicine & Geriatrics Dr Tony Chan believes the programme can improve various functions in elderly patients and restore their ability to carry out daily activities. Image source: www.news.gov.hk

Fewer visits

Pok Oi Hospital Chief of Service of Department of Medicine & Geriatrics Dr Tony Chan said the programme mainly benefits elderly patients who experience mobility issues after hospitalisation.

“Our target patients include those recovering from stroke, hip fracture or dementia because they all require very intensive training.”

Previously, patients would undergo on-site training twice weekly for eight weeks, for a total of 16 hospital sessions. Under the new arrangement, they now only need to visit the hospital once a week from the fifth week onwards.

“Through these exercises, we hope to help them improve their mobility and cardiopulmonary function, as well as restore their ability to carry out daily activities independently.”

To make rehabilitation more enjoyable, cultural elements have been integrated into the exercises. “For example, some games feature mahjong or cartoon backgrounds of the Big Buddha on Lantau Island and the Tsing Ma Bridge to make the training sessions more interesting and engaging for elderly participants.”

Performance analysis: Lingnan University School of Graduates Studies Senior Lecturer Chloe Siu says the smart training model achieves better results than traditional rehabilitation methods in several aspects. Image source: www.news.gov.hk

Positive results

To evaluate the programme’s effectiveness, Pok Oi Hospital has collaborated with Lingnan University on a comprehensive study. Explaining its findings, Lingnan University School of Graduates Studies Senior Lecturer Chloe Siu said innovative tele-rehabilitation training achieves better results than traditional methods in several aspects.

“Older adults who joined the six-metre walking test walked significantly faster than those undergoing conventional therapy,” she said. In occupational therapy, meanwhile, patients showed clear improvements in hand fine motor functions and cognitive functions, as well as Instrumental Activities of Daily Living.

Interactive technology: The virtual reality system simulates everyday situations, allowing patients to refamiliarise themselves with daily activities in a safe and controlled environment. Image source: www.news.gov.hk

NEW YORK (AP) — The rapper Offset has been released from the hospital after being shot earlier this week outside a Florida casino, a spokesperson said Friday.

Offset, one-third of the influential hip-hop trio Migos, was shot Monday night following a fight at the Seminole Hard Rock in Hollywood, just north of Miami.

On Tuesday, a spokesperson for Offset confirmed that the rapper was in stable condition, but his exact condition was unknown. Police said the injuries were not life-threatening.

“Offset has been released from the hospital and he is up and walking," a representative for Offset said on Friday. "We’re incredibly grateful to the doctors, nurses, and the entire hospital staff who took such great care of him.”

The rapper shared his own statement on social media Friday, writing, “Thank you to everyone who’s checked in on me and showed me love! I’m good….but I’m planning to be better! I’m focused on my family, my recovery, and getting back to the music…realizing that life is made up of quiet wins and loud losses...”

“Life’s a gamble and I’m still playing to win,” he concluded.

Earlier this week, officers detained two people. The rapper Lil Tjay, born Tione Jayden Merritt, was arrested in connection with the altercation that occurred before the shooting, the Seminole Police Department in Florida said. He was charged with disorderly conduct and operating a vehicle without a valid license.

The second person detained at the scene has not been charged and investigators were working to identify others involved, police said in a statement Tuesday.

Offset, born Kiari Kendrell Cephus, launched his career with Migos, one of the most popular hip-hop groups of all time. The Atlanta trio is celebrated for their rapid-fire triplet flow, an often-imitated delivery that changed the trajectory of trap.

The group had several multiplatinum selling singles, including “Bad and Boujee,” which went No. 1 on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100 chart, “Stir Fry,” and “Narcos." Migos released four full-length albums across their career.

More than three years ago, Offset’s cousin Takeoff, another member of Migos, was shot and killed at a Houston bowling alley.

As a solo artist known for his idiosyncratic style — a melodic, aggressive finesse — Offset has released three full-length albums.

He was also previously married to the rapper Cardi B. The pair were secretly wed in September 2017 in Atlanta. In 2024, Cardi B announced that she filed for divorce. They have three children together.

FILE - Cardi B, left, and Offset arrive at the Pre-Grammy Gala And Salute To Industry Icons, in Beverly Hills, Calif. on Jan. 25, 2020. (Photo by Mark Von Holden/Invision/AP, File)

FILE - Rapper Offset makes a guest appearance during Metro Boomin's set at Billboard R&B Hip-Hop Live, a celebration of the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, at The Novo, in Los Angeles, Aug. 8, 2023. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, File)

FILE - Offset arrives at the iHeartRadio Music Awards, March 17, 2025, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, File)