Suicides among the elderly at 5-year low
The number of elderly people committing suicide dropped to a five-year low last year, but the social welfare chief yesterday said the situation remained worrying.
In a weekly column on her department's website, Director of Social Welfare Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor noted that 241 people over the age of 60 killed themselves last year, 11 per cent down on the record 270 cases in 2001.
Mrs Lam said the figures were the lowest for five years. Among all suicides, the proportion of elderly people also dropped - from 33 per cent five years ago to 24 per cent.
She said analysis of the cases showed 90 per cent of the elderly killed themselves because they were ill, emotionally disturbed or had a poor family relationship.
While financial problems had resulted in a rising number of suicides, Mrs Lam said it contributed to fewer than 5 per cent of elderly cases. To prevent more elderly people from taking their lives, she said it was important to promote a positive and healthy lifestyle.
The department's year-long review and trial of family services concluded that the provision of integrated family services - such as counselling and welfare applications - was a good direction to follow. She said the integrated model could provide better sustainable services ranging from prevention to remedial.
But as some non-government agencies differed on the scale and timetable of how such a model should be implemented, Mrs Lam said these groups could take their time to monitor the progress of their trial and consult their colleagues on the reform.
Some voluntary agencies have suggested the government contract out their family services centres to non-government organisations. Mrs Lam said they were opposed to such a recommendation.
However, Mrs Lam said the department would not relinquish any of its core services, which included family services.
The department now runs two-thirds of the 66 family services centres in Hong Kong with the help of 598 social workers.
