As social isolation adds to loneliness of the elderly, charities reach out to keep people connected
- Many of Hong Kong’s elderly people living alone were already not getting enough social contact, but the pandemic has isolated them even more
- Charities across the city are tackling this problem through initiatives including phone call services and care package deliveries
Walking stick in hand, 91-year-old Lau Yuet-chun sets a brisk pace crossing the courtyard of the Sau Mau Ping Estate, one of Hong Kong’s oldest public housing estates located in Kwun Tong district and a place she has called home for 50 years. Her secret to longevity is simple: “Eat less and light.”
While Lau’s mind is sharp, her body is letting her down. She has knee problems, hypertension and high cholesterol. Thirty years ago she had a kidney removed. “I also have type-2 diabetes,” she adds, offering one of the “emergency” sweets she carries in her pocket.
She also gets lonely. Her husband, who she married at the age of 16 after moving to Hong Kong from Dongguan in China’s Guangdong province, died 17 years ago. She has five children, nine grandchildren and two great-grandchildren, but has seen little of them since social distancing, one of the measures introduced to contain the spread of Covid-19, became the norm.
Most of her days are spent peering through the window of her flat or watching daytime television. “I miss going to the market to buy fresh fish, fruit and vegetables, and I miss catching up with friends at the Good Neighbour Network,” she says, referring to the Sau Mau Ping branch of the social support charity that has been closed during the coronavirus outbreak.
The charity serves the city’s chronically ill, with most of its 730 members aged over 60 and 21 per cent relying on government handouts – Comprehensive Social Security Assistance of about HK$3,500 (US$450) a month. One-third are elderly and live alone.
