Situation of Elderly and Elderly Service in Hong Kong

1
Situation of Elderly and Elderly Service in Hong
Kong
LEE Tin Yan Service Supervisor The Neighbourhood
Advice-action Council Tuen Mun District
Integrated Services Centre for the Elderly
June 28, 2011
2
Some Data about Elderly Situation in Hong Kong

• Aging population
• Aged gt65 - 2008 12.6
• - 2016 14
• - 2033 27

Dependency ratio (the no. of elders each 1000
employed persons) - 2006 168 - 2023 282
- 2033 428
3
Some Data about Elderly Situation in Hong Kong

• Elderly Poverty Problem
• 1/3 of elders in Hong Kong live in poverty
• 1/5 of elders in Hong Kong is relying on social
  security
• 1/2 social security cases are elderly cases
• Elders living alone
• Around 150,000 (17 of total elderly population)
• 70 of them are living in poverty

4
Some Data about Elderly Situation in Hong Kong

• Elderly Suicide in Hong Kong
• 1 per day in average
• Suicide rate ranked as the 2nd in the world
• Suicide rate ranked as the 1st among all age
  groups in Hong Kong

5
Elderly Welfare Development Cultural Background

• Population of Hong Kong - 95 Chinese
• Confucian (??) values emphasis on roles in all
  aspects of social life (e.g. ?????), clear
  authority hierarchy (e.g. ?????), filial piety
  (??), etc.
• In the past, filial piety was defined as
  childrens obligations to parents and absolute
  respect for parental authority

6
Elderly Welfare Development Cultural Background

• Traditional concepts the obligation of
  supporting elders is on the kinship network
• There is an obvious decrease in the importance of
  these traditional values among people of younger
  generation

7
Elderly Welfare Development - Social Background

• In 1950s, civil war in Mainland China -gt
  immigrants came to Hong Kong -gt drastic increase
  in population
• Before 1970s Relying on traditional kinship
  network and charity organizations
• Since 1970s After a large scale riot in Hong
  Kong, the colonial government began to review the
  overall welfare policy.
• Social factors like High-land-price policy and
  westernization weaken the family support to the
  elderly

8
Elderly Welfare Development - Social Background

• Financial support of parents continues to be seen
  as desirable filial behavior, but its fulfillment
  is considered to be situational, and is often
  symbolic in practice
• Elderly parents are more aware that their
  children may not be able to look after them

9
Elderly Welfare Nowadays

• No universal pension system -gt Mandatory
  Provident Fund (MPF) instead
• Elders having economic problem are replying on
  social security (Comprehensive Social Security
  Assistance)
• Elderly social services are mainly provided by
  non-governmental organizations, may they be
  subsidized by the government or not

10
The Government Missions of Elderly Services

• Promote their sense of belonging (????)
• Sense of security (????)
• Sense of worthiness (????)
• Aging in the community as core, institutional
  care as back-up

11
Long Term Care Service Mechanism

• Central Waiting List for subsidized long term
  care services elderly hostels, day care centre
  and integrated home care services (for disabled
  and frail cases)
• All applicants have to go through a standardized
  care need assessment, and will then be assigned
  to different waiting lists according to the
  impairment levels and their choices of services
  

12
Integrated Home Care Service

• Provide difference kinds of care and services to
  the elders, the disabled, individuals and
  families with social need.
• Meals delivery, escorting to clinics/hospitals,
  domestic work assistance, rehabilitation
  services, etc.
• Serving both ordinary and frail cases

13
Enhanced Home and Community Care Services

• For frail people suffered from moderate level of
  impairment
• Care management, basic and special nursing care,
  personal care, rehabilitation exercises, carer
  support services, respite service, out-of-hour
  emergency support, environmental risk assessment
  and home modifications, home-making service,
  provision of meals, transportation and escort
  service

14
Day Care Centre for the Elderly

• For frail and demented elders suffering from
  moderate or severe level of impairment
• Nursing care, rehabilitation training, health
  education, carer support services, day respite
  service, counselling and referral services,
  social and recreational activities, meal,
  transportation service.

15
Residential Care Service

• Different kinds of residential care services
  according to difference impairment levels
• Care and Attention Home
• Nursing Home
• Infirmary (managed by Hospital Authority)

16
Elderly Centre Services

• To provide community based support services for
  elders and their carers
• District Elderly Community Centre
• Neighbourhood Elderly Centre
• Social Centre for the Elderly
• Provide recreational and educational activities,
  carer support, individual counseling, volunteer
  service, personal support (e.g. elderly canteen,
  laundry. Etc.)

17
Support Team for the Elderly

• Attached in district elderly community centre
• To reach out to single and needy elderly and
  provide them with social networking and support
  service encourage volunteers to visit and assist
  single elderly.

18
The Neighbourhood Advice-action Council
19
Our Agency

• A non-governmental organization with 43 years
  history
• With the tenet of Love Thy Neighbours as Thy
  Self, we serve the most underprivileged groups
  in our local community and neighbouring provinces
  in Mainland China

20
Development of our agency

• 1968 Founded
• - The 1967 riot in Hong Kong revealed hidden
  social conflicts in the colony.
• - NAAC was founded by a group of local
  volunteers to help those underprivileged social
  groups.

21
Development of our agency

• 1968 -1972 Consultation and Counseling
• - Establishment of Neighbourhood Centres in
  deprived districts like rural, squatter and
  temporary housing areas.
• - Provide information about education,
  employment, housing and legal service, etc. to
  residents
• - Communicate community needs to the government
  (e.g. social survey)

22
Development of our agency

• 1973-1981 Community Development
• - Subsidized by the government, community
  service teams were established to foster
  community development in deprived areas
• - Focusing on self-help and mutual help,
  example self-help groups, community issues
  concern groups
• - Relying on professional social workers rather
  than volunteers

23
Development of our agency

• 1981- Now Extension of Services
• - To meet the emerging social needs with
  great variety, our agency has been extending our
  services to different scopes like children
  youth services, family services, rehabilitation
  services and elderly services, employment
  services and social enterprises, etc.

24
Our agency nowadays
Major Funding Sources in the year of 2008-09 Amount (HK)
Social Welfare Department 170,451,183
Housing Society Building Department 1,665,545
Education Bureau 1,024,152
Community Chest of Hong Kong 943,526
Donations 8,374,445
No. of service units 92 No. of staff Over
1,000
25
Elderly services of our agency

• District Elderly Community Centres 3
• Neighbourhood Elderly Centres 5
• Eldery Social Centres 3
• Integrated Help Service Teams 4
• Day Care Centres for the elderly 3
• Elderly Hostel 1
• Supportive Service to subsidized
• housing for the elderly 1

26
Highlight of our special project

• Hidden Elderly Services
• A subsidized project by the government
• By means of outreaching and collaboration with
  other organizations (e.g. Housing Department,
  residents organization), we try to contact and
  provide service to those unmotivated elderly
  living alone

27
Highlight of our services

• Special Projects of Psychogeriatric Services 
• Cooperating with psychiatric hospital, social
  workers will receive referral in the community
  and conduct preliminary assessment on suspected
  dementia and depression cases
• Joint projects with local universities to develop
  board game / online game for those elders with
  mild cognitive impairment

28
Highlight of our services

• Elderly Community College
• Encourage elders to gain satisfaction through
  continuous learning
• Faculties
• - Arts (e.g. Chinese words and Mandarin, etc.)
• - Sports Art (dancing, singing, etc.)
• - Social Sciences (e.g. social service,
  interpersonal relationship, etc. )
• - Information Technology (e.g. internet,
  software application, Chinese characters
  inputting)
• - Health (e.g. nutrition, massage, etc.)

29
Highlight of our services

• Service in subsidized housing estate
• A special project funded by Housing Society which
  provide quality subsidized housing for the
  elderly
• A service team is established in the estate to
  run a small centre and provides regular
  activities like social group, interest classes
  and concern visits by volunteers