Hong Kong urged to boost support for at-risk elderly across all social classes
Hong Kong authorities should step up support for elderly residents at risk of suicide across all social classes, analysts have said, after a 73-year-old woman was arrested on Thursday on suspicion of murdering her husband in a hotel before taking sleeping pills and losing consciousness. They added that officials should broaden efforts to educate frontline…
Hong Kong authorities should step up support for elderly residents at risk of suicide across all social classes, analysts have said, after a 73-year-old woman was arrested on Thursday on suspicion of murdering her husband in a hotel before taking sleeping pills and losing consciousness.
They added that officials should broaden efforts to educate frontline workers on identifying socially isolated elderly people – those who lack connections to social services or resources – and refer them to social workers for early intervention.
“The key is how to identify these elders and link them up with services that match their needs,” said Ted Liu Chi-ho, community organiser of the Society for Community Organisation (SoCO).
The case of the elderly couple is among a rising number of old people in Hong Kong considered to be socially isolated – a phenomenon that has been linked to a spate of tragedies and suicides.
These elderly people often lived by themselves and became slowly disconnected from their social circles and faced chronic illness, health deterioration and economic hardships alone, Liu said.
Eventually, they tended to die isolated and lonely, he added.
