Little needs to be said about how Hong Kong’s healthcare system faces growing pressure as our population ages. The wait for a care home space is as long as 19 months and expected to worsen.
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In recent years, promoting care options elsewhere in the Greater Bay Area has become an alternative to expanding Hong Kong’s care home capacity. On April 30, the government announced the launch of social and care support services under the Residential Care Services Scheme in Guangdong to help senior citizens adapt to life in mainland care homes.
But despite government efforts to make these care options more attractive, uptake remains low. Lawmaker Maggie Chan Man-ki recently noted that of the roughly 1,000 mainland care home spots available to seniors in Hong Kong, only about 400 had been filled.
Care homes cannot be the long-term solution for an ageing population. Nor are more care homes fiscally sustainable for Hong Kong. Studies show most seniors would rather stay in the community than enter institutional care. They want to retain their sense of autonomy and independence while staying socially connected.
As such, Hong Kong’s ability to provide quality housing over the next few decades will be critical. If our homes and communities become safer and more hospitable, seniors can live independently for as long as possible, reducing the reliance on care homes.
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An effective “ageing in place” policy starts with thoughtful design. Universal design, which has become a key principle in Hong Kong’s public and subsidised housing, aims to create spaces everyone can use, regardless of age, size or ability. This approach incorporates accessibility measures like step-free entrances, tactile guide paths, widened doorways, sunken showers and power sockets positioned 1 metre above the floor.