Early this summer, Hong Kong outpaced the rest of the world, including New Zealand and Israel, and stood atop the race to “normalcy” amid COVID-19. The Economist proclaimed that the region had virtually returned to pre-pandemic levels. However, living conditions of the most vulnerable section of society — the silver population, or those aged 60 or older, living in care homes — seems to have been neglected as they continue to be haunted by the pandemic.
The virus might not have harmed them physically, but the uninfected senior residents in this densely populated metropolis have been suffering more than usual since the pandemic devoured the city. Because of the COVID-19 restrictions, residents in care homes are forced to drastically reduce regular meetings with beloved family members. Unprecedented social isolation has created a mental health crisis as the acute loneliness, anxiety, and depression take a toll.
In November 2020, the Senior Citizen Home Safety Association revealed that mental health issues among the city’s elderly residents had increased dramatically because of isolation and anxiety during the pandemic. It reported a 52 percent yearly increase in cases where the elderly needed emotional support, and a 36 percent rise in cases of people with suicidal tendencies.
COVID-19 should not be blamed as the only reason for the silver mental crisis, as loneliness and depression have long been pressing issues among Hong Kong’s fast-growing aged population. The pandemic exacerbated the situation while marginalizing the aged group as government officials, and other stakeholders, had their hands full with urgent issues. A survey conducted by a group of mental health researchers last year, after the pandemic started, showed significant growth in loneliness, anxiety, and insomnia among 583 elderly in the city’s care homes.
In June, the government amended the elderly-home lockdown policy so that if both visitors and residents are fully vaccinated, face-to-face meetings are allowed at care homes. The previous measure forbade elderly inmates from going out for any purpose, and visitors were prohibited.
Nevertheless, only 5 percent of care home residents had taken at least the first COVID-19 vaccine jab as of July 7. That number does not include disabled people who are exempted from being vaccinated. It means that for the remaining 95 percent of unvaccinated senior residents, the intended visitors need to wait for two weeks after getting the jabs before they can visit. They also need to get a COVID-19 negative test result. When they visit the care homes, the result should not be more than one week old. In other words, whenever anybody wants to visit his or her parents at a care home once a week, he or she needs to get tested each time. In short, the visitors need to shell out a significant amount of money for COVID-19 tests and schedule their visit to the care homes within one week. This has caused a rush at care homes on weekends, forcing the management to turn down many appointment requests.
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government and the care homes have introduced technological solutions to keep the elderly and their families connected, including Zoom calls and regular social media connections. However, old men and women, who are already battling loneliness and depression, find it a struggle to adapt to these virtual meetings. Technophobia prevails among the aged, making it heartbreaking rather than gap-bridging when family connect, and human contact is reduced to a cold small screen.
Time is precious for the elderly who are approaching the end of their lives. Urgent and efficient measures are needed to tackle their mental health problems during the pandemic. It is not humane if the policies restrict them from meeting their loved ones whenever they want.
The author is a Hong Kong-based journalist.
The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.