Elderly interest groups have attacked a study released last month suggesting that those waiting for places in homes for the elderly and for health care be means-tested.
The aim of the proposal is to give priority to the poor and disabled, with some elderly reportedly waiting up to three years for a place in a home. In the present publicly funded programme, anyone can apply.
Interest groups say a means test would be of no value because old people could simply transfer their savings to their children, making it difficult to determine how much money they actually had. Six interest groups have formed an alliance to oppose the plan.
The groups are the Salvation Army Tai Po Centre for Senior Citizens, Caritas Federation of Senior Citizens, Hong Kong Christian Service, Hong Kong Association of Senior Citizens, Hong Kong Society of the Aged, and St James' Settlement Committee for Retired Senior Citizens.
But critics of the current system say Hong Kong has significantly higher numbers of old people staying in homes than other countries in the region - 6.8 out of 100 over 65s, compared to two in Taiwan, 2.3 in Singapore and three in Japan. In Britain and Canada, the ratio is 4.2 to 100. According to the Elderly Commission, old people worldwide are increasingly staying home and being cared for by family and community services rather than being placed in homes.
According to the report, Hong Kong's high ratio might be due to reduced family size and the small size, on average, of Hong Kong flats. 'The city is facing an ageing population but its tax rate is low. In the long term, the government-subsidised elderly services without a screening of applicants would be unfeasible,' said Dr Chui Wing-tak.
Dr Ernest Chui Wing-tak, director of the University of Hong Kong's Sau Po Centre on Ageing, who wrote the report, said: 'The percentage is very high and we should consider that in oriental culture, the elderly love to stay with their families instead of spending their time in elderly homes.'