Hong Kong is a city home to over 7 million people, many of whom are elderly (65 or older). This makes the elderly an integral part of our society, and makes respecting the elderly something that many people would do, right?
From 1981 to 2021, the population of the elderly increased from 7% to 20%. This makes elderly people a major part of our society. We asked a group of people if they respect the elderly and gave them 2 scenarios to decide if they would help them or not. According to our data, 76.7% of people said that they would respect the elderly and 23.3% of people said they don’t. They are a big part of Hong Kong and our society so after hearing about the results of this survey, it surprised us how little respect the elderly get.
“There’s much that we don’t know about our older adults, and these results show they aren’t doing as well as people may perceive,” said the study’s lead researcher at UCLA, Riti Shimkhada said: “Although you might think that elderly people have lots of leverage and happiness in Hong Kong, this is not the case”.
Elderly Awareness Restoration is a project that we have been working on for a long time, it is our goal to raise awareness for the elderly in Hong Kong and promote more people to help them out. We believe that the respect for elderly people should be increased, and the elderly deserve equity concerning other people.
People may become more prone to social isolation as they age, which has been related to poor physical and mental health outcomes. Many seniors have extensive medical needs. Almost 95% of the elderly have at least one chronic condition, with over 80% having two or more. They may also have financial difficulties and hardships in maintaining safe and comfortable housing. Numerous elderly individuals require assistance with everyday tasks or medical care, and family members or caregivers may have difficulties in providing this assistance. Unfortunately, the elderly are also more prone to neglect, physical abuse, and financial exploitation.
According to a 2022 news article, chronic diseases, disabilities, and dementia are on the rise among Hong Kong’s ageing population. The pandemic has further exposed the challenges faced by the elderly, especially those who live alone and have limited access to healthcare and social services.
There are many ways we can support the elderly:
- Donate to charities that specialise in supporting the elderly: Many organisations in Hong Kong work to support the elderly. By donating to these organisations, you can help ensure that they have access to the resources they need. Charities include Senior Citizen Home Safety Association, ImpactHK and SCHSA.
- Volunteering at Senior Centres: There are many senior centres and nursing homes throughout Hong Kong that are always looking for volunteers. By spending time with the elderly, you can help brighten their day and provide much-needed social interaction.
- Support policies that help the elderly: Elderly citizens in Hong Kong often face discrimination and neglect. By advocating for their rights, you can help ensure that they are treated fairly and with respect.
- Spread awareness about the problems that the elderly face: Raising awareness about the problems that elderly people face can have a significant impact on their quality of life.
- Acknowledging them in public: Many of the elderly in Hong Kong are depressed because of loneliness and may struggle in public. This little effort can make a massive difference in their day.
The Elderly Awareness Restoration Project aims to raise awareness for the elderly in Hong Kong and promote more respect towards them. By working together, we can help create a more equitable and supportive environment for the elderly in Hong Kong.
Written by Sophie, Jocelyn, Ryan, Marcellus 10N
Bibliography
Wang, C. (2022, March 28). Asian elders are less happy, and get less support than elders of other races, a study shows. NBC News; NBC News. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/asian-elders-are-less-happy-get-less-support-elders-races-study-shows-rcna21243
Whether they are societal or health-related, late-life challenges can be pretty difficult. (Jeremy Rodriguez, 2022) What are the Problems Faced by the Elderly in Our Society?
Scope – JC JoyAge Research Website. (2021, February 3). JC JoyAge Research Website. https://research.jcjoyage.hk/scope/#
Standard, T. (2017). The elderly need a massive care boost. The Standard. https://www.thestandard.com.hk/section-news/section/4/179247/Elderly-need-massive-care-boost
Wang, C. (2022, March 28). Asian elders are less happy, and get less support than elders of other races, a study shows. Retrieved May 3, 2023, from NBC News website: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/asian-elders-are-less-happy-get-less-support-elders-races-study-shows-rcna21243
Yip, P. (2022, March 16). Hongkongers are living longer but not healthier as the ageing population puts an extra burden on health care. South China Morning Post; South China Morning Post. https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3170423/hongkongers-are-living-longer-not-healthier-ageing-population-puts
Riordan, P., Ho-him, C., & Lin, A. (2022, March 4). Hong Kong’s elderly vaccine refusal is unmoved by soaring Covid deaths. @FinancialTimes; Financial Times. https://www.ft.com/content/2fc33998-2216-41b6-8b7e-bab843f3f917
