ONCE, Hong Kong's elderly relied on their adult children and a social network for the care they needed. But with the middle-class boom and emigration and job transfers separating families, more and more people are finding that caring for their elderly parents has become largely a financial decision.
Even if adult children wanted to - and, unlike Singapore, there is no Hong Kong law requiring grown children to support their aged parents - many working families find caring for a mentally or physically weak parent impossible. During this year's Lunar New Year cold snap, more than 100 elderly people died in old-age homes or alone in their flats.
In Hong Kong, where property prices remain at a premium, money often dictates the choice.
There are more than 500 nursing homes in the territory, of which 400 are private, charging anywhere between $3,000 a month for a bed in a dormitory and more than $15,000 for an air-conditioned private room with care.
The rest are subvented, or government-subsidised, with an asking price of $1,100 to $1,500 per month for a non-bedridden person and slightly more if care, which covers feeding, bathing and hygiene, is needed.
That is cheap, and the quality is generally good. The problem is long queues: about 19,500 people are estimated to be waiting for a spot in these homes, and the wait could take up to three years.
Unfortunately, the subsidies doled out by the Government in its Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) scheme are a pittance: just $1,805 a month for those living with their families, and $1,935 for single people.
