Hong Kong will review its age threshold for elderly welfare services after a couple under 80 died, prompting calls to better identify high-risk cases. The Secretary for Labour and Welfare pledged to optimize big data usage for improved targeting.
The review aims to prevent similar tragedies by ensuring vulnerable elderly individuals and their caregivers receive timely support, addressing potential gaps in the current welfare system.
Hong Kong's Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Chris Sun Yuk-han, announced a review of the age threshold for elderly welfare services following a tragedy. A 70-year-old man and his 78-year-old wife were found dead in their home, but were not eligible for targeted social worker visits because they were both under the age of 80.
Sun stated that the couple were not included for visits or follow-up by social workers as they did not meet the criteria based on the Housing Authority's household register, which typically identifies the elderly needy aged 80 or above. He described the incident as a "tragedy" and pledged to ask his colleagues to follow up on the case.
Looking ahead, Sun indicated that the government would optimize its use of big data to determine if the age threshold for priority care targets should be lowered to encompass more elderly individuals in need. Authorities are also considering expanding priority community care to include dementia patients and carers of people with severe disabilities aged over 60.
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