Editorial | Elderly tragedies drive home need to review age threshold for support
Yet another tragedy involving vulnerable elderly people has made headlines in Hong Kong. The recurrence of such incidents, the third in less than two months, has again highlighted gaps in the support services for those in need in our ageing society. A 70-year-old man was found hanging in his Kwai Ch
By Scmp Editorial
Yet another tragedy involving vulnerable elderly people has made headlines in Hong Kong. The recurrence of such incidents, the third in less than two months, has again highlighted gaps in the support services for those in need in our ageing society.
A 70-year-old man was found hanging in his Kwai Chung flat when his daughter visited last Friday. His 78-year-old wife was discovered unconscious in another room and was later pronounced dead in the hospital, while the man succumbed to his injuries on Wednesday. The case is under investigation by the authorities.
Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun Yuk-han has set the right tone by pledging to review the screening criteria used to identify high-risk groups. Describing the incident as a “tragedy”, the minister said the couple had not been identified for targeted visits or follow-up support by social workers under an initiative to prioritise services for those aged 80 and above since last year.
It is unfortunate that the couple slipped through surveillance just because they were a few years shy of the age threshold. The authorities are right to consider widening the safety net by taking more factors into consideration. This includes prioritising cases involving dementia patients and carers for severe disabilities aged over 60.
The recurrence of such sorrowful tales sits at odds with our image as an advanced and caring society. In early May, a 77-year-old man was believed to have killed his ex-wife before hanging himself in a public housing flat in Sau Mau Ping. He reportedly felt hopeless after their separation following years of marital conflict, worsened by their son’s suicide. Separately, an 89-year-old man and his 87-year-old wife were found dead in a flat in To Kwa Wan following reports of a bad smell.
The number of people aged 65 and over is projected to nearly double from 1.45 million in 2021 to 2.74 million in 2046. The ageing population means many more households could fall outside the official radar for support. The review for a wider and tighter safety net must be pushed ahead quickly before another hidden case makes headlines.