‘Hire more foreign helpers to solve Hong Kong’s elderly care crisis’
Research paper says Filipinos and Indonesians who are now recruited to look after children should be trained to serve new role
Hong Kong needs more foreign domestic helpers who are better trained to help take care of the city’s rapidly ageing residents, a study paper recommended on Thursday.
The Legislative Council Secretariat research office warned that one in three people would be over the age of 60 by 2034, yet the city was not yet ready to deal with manpower shortages.
“In the face of this ageing trend, it is expected that more [domestic helpers] may be required to take care of elderly persons at home in future, as compared with childcare responsibilities at present,” the paper said.
It noted that the proportion of elderly households, without live-in younger family members, who employed domestic helpers jumped from 2.5 per cent in 1995 to 9.7 per cent in 2016.
“It gives rise to concerns whether [domestic helpers] have received sufficient training to provide long-term care support for the frail elderly who may need medical and nursing care. Hong Kong is still not well-prepared for this manpower challenge.”