Solace in strangers

Aging in place

Linda Lee Yin-king, a professor at the School of Nursing and Health Sciences at Hong Kong Metropolitan University, says elderly people living alone are confronted with challenges due to frail health, poor living conditions and financial hardship. Many of them have to put up with multiple health problems and a lack of immediate support in their daily routine, forcing them to curtail activities to avoid unnecessary expenses.

Lee points to a number of factors contributing to the plight of the elderly, including a surge in the number of Hong Kong residents emigrating in recent years, leaving many seniors separated from their families. Another key factor is the city's generally overcrowded living environment, making accommodating multiple generations under one roof impractical.

She says while some have opted for care homes, most prefer to age within their communities. The choice isn't just personal, but in line with the special administrative region government's goals to care for the community. The authorities have continued to emphasize the principle of "aging in place" as the primary approach, with institutional care as a backup.

Lee says the goal of such an approach is to help seniors remain longer in their communities so that they can enjoy their sunset years rather than overcrowding care facilities.

To achieve the vision of aging in place, the government has been strengthening community elderly care services and initiating programs to suit those living alone. The city's 213 district elderly community centers and neighborhood centers offer a diverse range of support services at the community level, including outreach programs to identify hidden or singleton elderly people and help them build social connections. The authorities also provide various care services, including home-based and center-based, with elderly people able to obtain these services by using community care vouchers. So far, some 4,000 singleton elderly people have benefited from such aid.

As of last year, there were more than 120,000 singleton elderly households living in public rental flats. The government has created an interdepartmental referral mechanism to address the housing needs of these tenants. Relatives or domestic helpers are allowed to live temporarily with singleton elderly tenants if necessary.

Subsidies are also given to eligible elderly households in public rental housing estates for installing an emergency call system, enabling solitary seniors to seek immediate assistance when in need. Free adaptation or modification works within units are also offered, such as installing entrance ramps, widening bathroom doorways, converting bathtubs into shower cubicles, and adding bathroom handrails, to better accommodate seniors' daily activities.