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.
According to the 2021 census, there were 301,344 people from ethnic minority communities – excluding foreign domestic helpers – and 8.6 per cent were over 65.
As of November 30, there were nearly 7,700 people in the queue for various types of subsidised services for the elderly, with an average waiting time of seven months.
The problem is further compounded by a lack of services specifically catering to the needs of ethnic minorities.
Residents and workers at care homes often have problems communicating with each other as they may not be well-versed in English or Cantonese.
Different religious and cultural backgrounds may also pose additional requirements in relation to diet and other daily routines.
Understandably, institutions may find it hard to survive if they only cater to ethnic minorities. But it would be helpful if there was a policy to encourage service providers to be more sensitive to their different needs.
This includes hiring workers with basic English language proficiency and catering for different diets and religious practices. Such changes will go a long way in filling the gaps.
Members of ethnic minorities deserve as much care and support as others. Many of them were born locally or have adopted Hong Kong as their home city.
They are no different in terms of demand for services. But they can become disadvantaged because of insensitivity towards their different backgrounds and requirements.
It is good to see that Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu has pledged to enhance support in education, jobs, welfare and integration for ethnic minorities in his policy address.
Hopefully, the measures will help Hong Kong to become a more caring and inclusive society.
