Source:
https://scmp.com/article/705361/means-test-elderly-comes-under-fire

Means test for elderly comes under fire

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.'

Meanwhile, the system is struggling to keep up with demand. There are currently 25,000 elderly people waiting for places in government-subsidised homes for the elderly. Even those who are in need of help face a 22-month wait to get into a home, while others must wait 40 months for a place in a government-subsidised nursing home. It is not unusual, according to reports, for old people to die while they are waiting.

The problem is set to get worse as Hong Kong's population gets older. Currently, people aged 65 or older account for slightly less than 13 per cent of the population, or 0.88 million people, according to Hong Kong Council of Social Services figures. But by 2033, the council estimates, 27 per cent of the city's population will be 65 or older, which will put a huge strain on social services for the elderly.

Chui says Hong Kong, which has lower taxation levels than most other developed countries, simply cannot cope with the demand for subsidised nursing homes.

At present, elderly people who want a place in a nursing home only have to undergo a physical test to ascertain their needs. No means test is required and they pay less than HK$2,000 a month, compared to monthly fees of at least HK$5,000 - often much higher - in private homes for the elderly.

Dominic Au Siu-lun, a research officer from the Home of the Elderly Research Society, told the Post that staying at home with family could be an alternative to placement in nursing homes, but only if community services are improved.

But Yuen Chou-fat, of the Hong Kong Association of Senior Citizens, argued that care for the elderly is a basic part of the city's welfare system, adding that 500 beds that have been added in the past four years were inadequate. He said what is needed is not a means test, but a review system to determine who required care.

'Financial status is only one factor. It is also important to look at others such as participants' health, how much time their family members can spare to take care of them and home conditions,' Yuen said.

Additional reporting by Lai Ying-kit