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

A stairwell roof at a parking garage being built in Philadelphia collapsed suddenly, killing one person, while two others are missing and presumed dead, authorities said.

The section of roof at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia's garage fell Wednesday, triggering a “progressive collapse of connected sections across all seven levels,” Mayor Cherelle Parker told reporters.

“Let me be very clear about something at this moment: We are not, we will not give up on these individuals and we will not rest until everyone is accounted for from this tragedy,” she said.

By Thursday, she said search dogs hadn't found any signs of life at the collapse site.

Crews had initially rescued three people, including one who was critically injured and later died at the hospital, said Philadelphia Fire Commissioner Jeffrey Thompson. Two others were treated and released.

The building is unstable, so crews need to take it apart in order to search the entire structure, Thompson said.

“We’re actually going to deconstruct and de-layer this building, and that will make it safe for my members to get inside and get down to the lowest levels to ensure that we don’t have any survivors down there,” he said.

All of the project's required permits were properly issued and inspections were up to date, according to Parker. She said the city will investigate the collapse.

The hospital said in a statement that it is prioritizing the construction workers' safety and working closely with the city and its construction partners.

First responders gather near a partially collapsed parking garage in Philadelphia, Thursday, April 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

First responders inspect a partially collapsed parking garage in Philadelphia, Thursday, April 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

First responders walk near a partially collapsed parking garage in Philadelphia, Thursday, April 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

First responders inspect a partially collapsed parking garage in Philadelphia, Thursday, April 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Damage is seen to a parking garage under construction after it collapsed on Wednesday, April 8, 2026, in Philadelphia. (WPVI-TV/6ABC via AP)