Hong Kong caregivers have been urged to set aside “me-time” and address their own well-being as a survey found that 80 per cent of them were aged 60 or above.
The Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui Welfare Council finds 80 per cent of caregivers in Hong Kong aged 60 or above during a press conference on November 15, 2024. Photo: Supplied.
The city of 7.5 million has an ageing population, with the proportion of those aged 65 or above expected to climb from 21 per cent in 2021 to 36 per cent in 2046, according to official figures.
The phenomenon of “elderly taking care of elderly” has drawn attention after tragedies last year involving elderly caregivers, including a case in which two mentally disabled men died from starvation after their mother was admitted to hospital.
The Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui Welfare Council on Friday released the results of a survey it conducted of 1,079 caregivers between July and August. Eighty per cent of the respondents were aged 60 or above, the NGO said at a press conference, with over half aged 70 or older.
Around 80 per cent of the respondents said they had suffered stress due to caregiving, while about 40 per cent had to provide care for at least eight hours a day.
The survey also asked if the respondents had reserved time for themselves. Some 22 per cent had no me-time at all, while around 30 per cent said they had too little.
On average, those who had some me-time were 13 per cent less stressed than those who had none, the NGO said.
“We hope this survey will shed light on the needs of caregivers, and encourage them to be mindful of their physical and mental well-being,” Esther Wong, the assistant director of the NGO, said in Cantonese. “They must care for themselves before caring for their family.”
Esther Wong, assistant director of Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui Welfare Council, speaks in a press conference about the city’s caregiver on November 15, 2024. Photo: HKFP.
Most respondents said they could not abandon their responsibilities as caregivers and care services for the elderly in Hong Kong were inadequate.
Kitman Chan, a 55-year-old who used to work in real estate, quit her job to care full-time for her mother, who is in her 90s and was diagnosed with dementia about five years ago.
Chan said her mother’s memory began to deteriorate and she started to lose some ability to care for herself.
“I was clueless. I didn’t know what should I do,” Chan told HKFP. “But my love for my mother outweighed other matters, therefore I quit my job.”
For about three years, Chan was her mother’s sole caregiver. She described it as a “lonely and depressing” period which took a toll on her own mental and physical health.
“I had no social life,” she said. “I almost couldn’t go out during those few years … My mood sometimes sank and I would cry for no reason.”
Kitman Chan, a 55-year-old former worker in the real estate sector, quit her job to care full-time for her mother, who is in her 90s and was diagnosed with dementia about five years ago. Photo: HKFP.
Chan was hospitalised during that period after coughing up blood, which her doctor told her was partly caused by the huge stress she was under.
She was introduced to a social services centre operated by Sheng Kung Hui, where a social worker encouraged her to take part in community activities and let go of some of her caregiving responsibilities.
“Actually many caregivers have formed a network in which they share useful information,” Natalie Lam, a social worker who has been following Chan’s case, told HKFP. “Such as the whereabouts of respite services [for the elderly].”
Cases are sometimes referred to NGOs by hospitals and other social services organisations, Lam added.
“Often, caregivers do not realise that their own well-being will affect the people they care about. Therefore they neglect to care for themselves,” Lam said.
A group of elderly people participate in a community activity on November 15, 2024. Photo: HKFP.
The NGO urged society to promote the idea of regular and adequate me-time, especially for elderly caregivers, and to establish back-up care services for them.
Care services should be personalised to accommodate the need of individual caregivers, which would require the cooperation of the government, society, and the business sector, it added.
Chan said reserving some time for herself a few times a week had had a positive impact on her well-being and her relationship with her mother. Her mother had also showed signs of improved memory.
“My mother is still my priority if anything happens. But after I have had some me-time, I feel very relieved and the family atmosphere has been improved,” Chan said.
“I still feel stressed … but at least I am smiling again.”
