In
Hong Kong, there has been a growing concern on the issue of
elder abuse. With the support of the Lotteries Fund, HKCS has
launched a two-year pilot project - "Project on Elder Abuse
Research and Protocol" since February this year.
The objectives of the Project
are: to conduct research on the elder abuse phenomenon in Hong
Kong; to establish a multi-professional protocol for related
parties in handling elder abuse cases; to design an elder abuse
registry with a computerized database system; and to conduct
briefings and trainings in relation to the above tasks.
To see to it that the Project
succeeds for the welfare of the elderly, the participation from
related parties is of paramount importance. With the Social
Welfare Department being the main facilitator, the Project has
formed a core support group that consists of representatives
from different professional sectors. Such group is established
to support the Project in the areas of providing advices and
feedback as well as the building of networks within the related
sectors.
In
April, the Project organized a briefing session for the people
from related fields to draw their attention to this sad phenomenon
among the elderly in Hong Kong and provided them with the most
updated information. Around 300 participants from social welfare
sector, medical field, Housing Department, district councils,
and societies for elderly rights attended. Through the presentations
from six speakers, the reality of elder abuse and the services
available were introduced.
In the segment of research,
the Project has completed a focus group study aiming to collect
views from different sectors on this problem and their expectations
on the protocol. In addition, data collected through a local
3000-telephone-survey on the perception of elder abuse in Hong
Kong has also been completed. Meanwhile, 500 interviews will
be directed toward the elderly for their opinions and experience
on elder abuse. Lastly, the Project researchers are also conducting
20 in-depth case studies in order to collect data from elderly
victims regarding their experience and input.
With the preliminary findings
of the above surveys and data collected in the focus groups,
the Project has started to draft the inter-disciplinary protocol
and the design of the central registry. To ensure practicality,
the Project would consult with experts in the related fields
on their feasibility. We also plan to invite some frontline
units to test run the drafts early next year for further refinement.
With the cooperation from
people in the related fields, not only a territory-wide concern
of elder abuse can be cultivated; it is hoped that the outcome
will make a significant contribution in combating elder abuse
in Hong Kong.
