Stressed aging

The tight average living space per person of 16 square meters in Hong Kong is dismal, against 20.1 sq m for Tokyo, 30.7 sq m for Seoul and 33 sq m for Singapore, from a Legislative Council research paper.

Hong Kong seniors see the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area as an affordable retirement option. A Census and Statistics Department survey in 2019 estimated tens of thousands of retirees are keen to relocate to mainland GBA cities.

Quality of life in the retirement years of restricted space, reduced mobility, and impairment can have adverse consequences on mental health too. Demand for residential care homes grows unfulfilled, because of the SAR's high land cost and scarcity. The Social Welfare Bureau confirms for August, the waiting time for a care home stood at 20 to 23 months.

WHAT'S NEXT

1. Help Hong Kong retirees get medical insurance and welfare services on the mainland.

2. Build an integrated ecosystem similar to that of Macao's for Hong Kong elderly living on the mainland.

3. Strengthen Hong Kong-mainland medical connectivity.

4. Streamline cross-border paperwork for NGOs to open more care  homes.

5. Inform residents about retirement options and future plans in the Greater Bay Area.