To prepare for the International Year of Older Persons, a workshop on "Dependence or Interdependence" was held in October 1998. Several guest speakers were invited and they were Professor of Social Work Department of Hong Kong Baptist University Dr Sammy Chiu, Executive Director of Greenpeace Mr Ho Wai Chi, and Hong Kong Christian Service Service Supervisor of PS33-Centre for Psychotropic Substance Abusers Ms Rainbow Cheung. Its purpose was to stimulate the staff to think about the relationship between the elderly and themselves, and to think about their roles in the International Year of Older Persons.

According to Professor Sammy Chiu, the average life span of mankind was 40 years at the beginning of the century. The concept of longevity was only introduced a few decades ago. This change in life span represented that the younger generation will be sharing a longer period with the older generation. Thus, we have to prepare to confront the physical and psychological changes when aging, and learn how to communicate with both our elderly parents and children.

Professor Chiu further stated that there is a lack of communication between generations in today's society. The younger generation takes care of the older generation just because of a sense of duty - a duty without love. Professor Chiu thought that if there was ever a law required the younger generation to take care of the older generation, the only purpose of such law was for the government to cut back on the resources of elderly services. In fact, the more the older generation depends on the younger generation, the heavier the burden is for the younger generation.

Professor Chiu suggested that the government should increase services to improve the elders' ability. If they are financially and emotionally independent, they can certainly adapt the aging process. Thus, the younger generation will suffer less stress and be more willing to take care of their parents. The concept of "independently interdependence" should replace the one-way dependence relationship.

Mr Ho Wai Chi encouraged the younger generation to visit some "adventurous" places such as Lan Kwai Fong with the elders in order to minimize the generation gap. He explained that the advance of society is due to the elders' willing to abandon their traditional values and ways of thinking. We should appreciate such kinds of sacrifice they did for us.

Mr Ho said, "There is always two different ways of thinking between two generations and this probably lead to conflicts. Often, what makes the older generation willing to give up is because they love their children. The difference in the way of thinking varies in different times. What seems reasonable today might not be so in past decades. Therefore, we have to have patience and be ready to be challenged by the younger generation during our aging process.

Ms Rainbow Cheung shared her own experience in how to communicate with parents. She suggested that the younger generation should spend more time alone with their parents to have new explorations. Besides, they have to learn how to decode "parents' language". Sometimes, their words may be a little aggravating and implicit. However, parents did it out of loving care.

At last, Ms Cheung encouraged everyone to have three types of savings accounts for their lives: a personal savings account for one's health and money, a family savings account for the bonding and support between family members, and a foreign savings account for the building of psychological family rel