After another tragedy, Hong Kong to review age threshold covering elderly needy

Authorities will review the age threshold defining older residents in need to better identify priority cases and prevent more tragedies from happening, the welfare chief has vowed after an elderly Hongkonger was found hanging in his flat.
Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun Yuk-han made the pledge on Saturday after a 70-year-old man was found hanging in his flat in Lai King Estate in Kwun Tong by his daughter the day before.
Police said the man’s wife, 78, was found unconscious in the bedroom with her head covered by a quilt. They were subsequently rushed to Princess Margaret Hospital in Kwai Chung, where she was declared dead. He remained in an unconscious state as of Saturday morning
Sun said the couple were not included for targeted visits or follow-up by social workers as they were both aged under 80 based on the Housing Authority’s (HA) household register.
“It was indeed a tragedy. But they had not been covered for welfare visits by social workers, who usually identify the elderly needy aged 80 or above in the HA’s household register,” he told a radio programme.
“I’ll ask my colleagues to follow up this case. In the future, we’ll optimise big data to see if we need to reduce the age threshold to cover more elderly needy as our priority care targets.”
The minister said the age threshold meant the couple in their seventies fell outside authorities’ monitoring.
Sun noted that since last July, community care teams had partnered with his bureau and the Housing Department to identify high-risk residents aged 80 or above on their first visit.
“So far they have made first visits to over 100,000 elderly households, transferring about 13,000 such households to social welfare organisations for follow-up [action],” he said.
Sun admitted the city’s ageing population had grown, with those aged 65 and above accounting for a quarter of the total population. About 400,000 residents were aged 80 and above.
“Our intention is to build a closely connected support network for those in need. This work can only be hastened, never slowed down,” he said. “Our work is urgent. We hope to improve our database to help more people in need.”
He also vowed to increase the number of care homes for the elderly, as well as the size of their living spaces.
In May, Sun told the South China Morning Post that Hong Kong might widen support to cover more younger elderly residents.
He said that after initial screening based on age and household composition, care teams would conduct home visits to assess factors such as frailty and mobility, and refer those with welfare needs to NGOs.

Hong Kong has once again been shaken by cases of elderly residents found dead at home after going unnoticed.
Last month, a 77-year-old man was found hanging in a flat in Po Tat Estate, a public housing complex under the Housing Authority in Sau Mau Ping. His 71-year-old ex-wife was also discovered dead in the home.
Police said the man was believed to have killed the woman before taking his own life, having felt “hopeless” after their separation following years of marital conflict, compounded by their son’s suicide.
Two days earlier, on May 4, an 89-year-old man and his 87-year-old wife were found dead in a flat at Lok Man Sun Chuen in To Kwa Wan, after a security guard reported a strange smell.
The couple were not flagged as at-risk cases, as there was no monitoring coverage for estates managed by the Housing Society – the city’s second-largest public housing provider after the authority – including the one where they lived.
Sze Lai-shan, deputy director of NGO Society for Community Organisation, said the government should expand the coverage of high-risk elderly people as soon as possible.
She added that the Social Welfare Department should work closely with the Housing Department to build up a comprehensive database to identify those in need who were high-risk cases.
“It shouldn’t just be about their age. The database should reflect their joint efforts, compiling information on whether carers have chronic diseases, receive disability allowance or have living difficulties,” she said.
“A comprehensive database will allow social workers to identify high-risk elderly and provide prompt support.”
If you have suicidal thoughts or know someone who is experiencing them, help is available. In Hong Kong, you can dial 18111 for the government-run Mental Health Support Hotline.
You can also call +852 2896 0000 for The Samaritans or +852 2382 0000 for Suicide Prevention Services. In the US, call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org for the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. For a list of other nations’ helplines, see this page.