More than half of elderly residents from shamed Tai Po care home are stuck with same operator
Lack of alternatives in the private sector means that more than half of the elderly displaced by bathing scandal are stuck with same operator
Half of the displaced elderly people who lived in the scandal-plagued Cambridge Nursing Home have moved into institutions run by the same operator, an industry insider has revealed. This came after the home's licence was not renewed due to allegations of elderly abuse.
While the Elderly Commission meets today to discuss ways to improve the supervision of homes for the elderly, the revelation highlights the shortcomings of the government's existing funding model, which allows little market competition between the public and private sectors.
As a result, even the worst homes often stay in business as middle-class Hongkongers queue for subsidised places, which are of better quality.
"You don't see a big difference in their numbers. The good ones stay around, but so do the badly run establishments," said Elderly Services Association chairman Kenneth Chan Chi-yuk.
NGOs subsidised by the government offer the bulk of available elderly services, including the delivery of meals and bathing support. They are of much better quality as money spent on the care of an elderly person is five times greater than that available in the private sector.
Without government subsidies, Chan said, budgets for private homes were much lower, as about 80 per cent of the elderly living in such homes used their social security allowances, which total up to HK$7,000 per month, to pay for their places. Only about HK$3,200 was left for elderly care after deducting rent and utilities - which compared with HK$16,300 for subsidised homes. "No matter how you tighten supervision, you can't improve their quality. You can't stretch HK$3,200 into HK$16,300," said Chan.