Hong Kong considers expanding priority care scheme to better flag high-risk cases

Hong Kong will consider expanding priority community care to include dementia patients and carers aged over 60 of people with severe disabilities, the city’s welfare chief has said, in a bid to better identify high-risk cases vulnerable to tragedy.

Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun Yuk-han said on Sunday that authorities were actively reviewing the screening criteria used to identify high-risk elderly individuals.

The move follows a tragedy in which a 70-year-old man was found hanging in his Kwai Chung flat, while his 78-year-old wife was discovered unconscious in another room. She was later pronounced dead in hospital, while the man remained in critical condition as of Saturday night.

Sun said the couple had not been included in targeted visits or follow-up support by social workers, as Housing Authority records showed both were under 80.

He described caregiving for a spouse with dementia as “one of the most challenging” scenarios.

“I believe dementia must definitely be prioritised in our approach,” he said in a televised interview.