Care blanket push for elderly with chronic diseases

Following Friday’s tragic fatality in Lai King, Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun offered his deepest condolences and stated his commitment to integrating elderly chronic disease patients into the government's social welfare safety net.

A 78 year-old woman was pronounced dead at a hospital after a couple were found unconscious in a Lai King Estate flat.

Speaking to reporters after attending a radio programme on Saturday, Sun said he had looked into the case and found the couple was not under the care of the Social Welfare Department or non-government organisations.

He stated that the government plans to expand its registry of vulnerable families—an initiative introduced last July to spot families at risk at an earlier stage—using various methods to avert future tragedies.

"Right now, we are targeting all elderly households who are over the age of 80, but for the tragedy at Lai King yesterday, both residents were aged below 80," Sun said.

"We are looking into the possibility of not just looking at the age but instead looking for all-elderly households even if their age is below 80 and to cooperate with the Hospital Authority for those suffering from chronic diseases that require constant care."

Sun stated that his bureau will collaborate with the Hospital Authority to identify these residents and provide their details to care teams for home visits.

Referrals, he added, can also be made to nearby NGOs, if the identified families are currently not covered under the social welfare network.

Edited by Azam Khan ...