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LCQ17: Elderly population change and related policies
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     Following is a written reply by the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, to a question by the Hon Cheung Hok-ming on elderly population change and related policies in the Legislative Council today (October 29):

Question:

     According to the population projections of the Census and Statistics Department, the percentage of the elderly in the population will continue to rise, and it is expected that the elderly aged 65 or above will account for 27% of the population by 2033.  The Chief Executive has also pointed out that 25 years from now, there will be one elderly person in every four Hong Kong people.  In this connection, will the Government inform this Council whether:

(a) any long-term population policy is currently in place to cope with the pressure on the society exerted by changes in the population structure in the coming decades; if there is such a policy, of the details;

(b) it will establish a flexible retirement mechanism and encourage enterprises to employ the elderly with working ability, so as to enhance the overall labour force; and

(c) it has fully considered, in planning for the development of integrated elderly community projects in remote areas such as Tin Shui Wai, how the elderly living in the projects' elderly housing may be assisted in keeping in touch with their friends and relatives, including participating in social activities, so as to avoid their becoming lonely and helpless?

Answer:

President,

     The question involves various policy aspects. After consulting the concerned policy bureaux and departments, my reply is as follows:

(a) The Administration has been monitoring changes in the demographic structure of Hong Kong, including the rising proportion of elderly population, and the challenges brought about by these changes.  We have put in place a series of measures to enhance the quality and competitiveness of our population in order to prepare our society to meet these challenges.  Our efforts in this regard include continuing to devote substantial resources in education, vigorously developing training and retraining services of our workforce, implementing measures to facilitate the entry and stay of non-local talents with a view to attracting more talents from both the Mainland and overseas to Hong Kong, providing additional subsidised residential care places and subsidised day care places for frail elderly etc.  In addition, to maintain a healthcare system that can cater for the changing demographic structure, increasing healthcare needs and rising health expenditure, the Administration will embark on the second stage of public consultation on healthcare reform to deepen the discussion and galvanise consensus on a comprehensive healthcare reform and healthcare financing.
 
(b) There is currently no mandatory retirement age in Hong Kong. When an employee and an employer enter into an employment relationship, they are free to negotiate on a mutual agreement basis a suitable retirement age, same as for other terms and conditions of employment. Employers are also free to recruit or continue to employ elderly people.  The present arrangement allows flexibility and suits the needs of different employers and employees having regard to the market situation.

     To assist elderly people in seeking employment, the Labour Department has set up special counters in all Job Centres to provide them with priority services.  They can also join the Job Matching Programme for more intensive and personalised employment services.  

(c) The Hong Kong Housing Society (HKHS) will implement an Integrated Elderly Community Project (the Project) in Tin Shui Wai (TSW) Area 115.  According to its initial plan, the Project will provide about 1,250 purpose-built elderly flats for lease.  The target is elderly people aged 60 or above with better financial means and are prepared to pay for such accommodation and services.  Their spouses who are aged 50 or above can also live in the flats.  It is anticipated that there would be about 1,900 residents.  In addition, the Project will also provide one-stop supportive facilities and services to meet the health and medical, leisure and recreational, as well as family and social needs of elderly residents.  Such facilities include a Wellness Centre (with a clinic, a residential care home for the elderly, a day care centre and a respite-cum-rehabilitation centre), hotel/guesthouse, kindergarten/day nursery and comprehensive recreational, educational and training/retraining facilities.  

     The elderly accommodation under the Project is modelled on the concept of a resort-type retirement village.  It allows for "ageing in the community", following the "continuous caring" and "user-pay" principles.  The Project is also characterised by its proposed mix of facilities for other ages, which would foster family harmony and caring attitude, strengthen ties between elderly residents and their families, relatives and friends and promote their integration into the community.  With the hotel/guesthouse providing short-term accommodation, and taking advantage of the project site's proximity to the local tourism resources (e.g. the Hong Kong Wetland Park) and the Mainland (e.g. the Shenzhen Bay Port), the elders' families, relatives and friends would be attracted and encouraged to pay frequent visits to elderly residents to enjoy family life.  The kindergarten/day nursery would create an active and lively atmosphere for the Project by providing a balanced and mixed community with different ages, and would also benefit families in TSW by allowing parents to take up jobs and relieving them from the pressure associated with child caring work at home.  The education and training/retraining facilities would not only provide learning opportunities for TSW residents, but would also create opportunities for social enterprises.  The HKHS would encourage elderly residents in the Project to serve as volunteers to share their knowledge and experience with youngsters in TSW, thus enhancing the elders' self-esteem and sense of self-worthiness and supporting their mental and social well-being.  The interaction would also enable elders and youngsters to benefit from each other.

Ends/Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Issued at HKT 15:03

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