Editorial | More needs to be done for the elderly in our ethnic minorities
- In our ageing society, support and services can be difficult to obtain for ethnic minorities. But they need and deserve as much care and help as other members of the community
Ageing with dignity is not a given in Hong Kong society. Despite a multibillion-dollar safety net provided by the government, help is sadly not always available to those in need. Access to support and services for non-Chinese may be even more difficult, as reflected in a recent report in the Post.
Apart from the language barrier, care providers and residential homes rarely cater to the needs of ethnic minorities.
The case in which a welfare-dependent Pakistani man who had to seek help from his friend’s wife and domestic helper to help change the diaper of his bedridden mother may be an isolated one.
The 85-year-old woman is on a waiting list for daily help from a government community care service while receiving support from an NGO once or twice a week.
Amid a fast ageing population, some ethnic minority families are also struggling to get subsidised care services for the elderly.
The shortage of staffing and resources means it is not uncommon for applicants to wait for months.
