Replies to LegCo questions

LCQ14: Mental health services for vulnerable elders

     Following is a question by the Dr Hon Joseph Lee and a written reply by the Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food, Dr York Chow, in the Legislative Council today (January 5):

 

Question:

 

     It is learnt that in Hong Kong, the suicidal mortality rate of the elderly has always been comparatively higher than those of other age groups. There are also survey findings which indicate that nearly 40,000 elderly persons in Hong Kong are suffering from depressive illnesses, but 80 per cent of them have not sought medical assistance. On the other hand, the figures of newly reported elder abuse cases during the first quarter of 2004 reveal that psychological abuse cases are the second largest category of all cases reported. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

 

(a) whether Mental Health Community Service or Community Psychogeriatric Nursing Service has been provided to the above vulnerable elders; if so, of the number of cases handled by the authorities, the average waiting time for a case, as well as the average number of cases required to be handled by a nurse in each of the past five years; and

 

(b) whether there are any plans to review the above services; if so, of the review timetable; if not, the reasons for that?

 

Reply:

 

Madam President,

 

     Suicide is a complicated issue caused by multifaceted factors. To address the problem, the Administration has established a Working Group on Suicide to coordinate the work of suicide prevention, and assess the effectiveness of various suicide prevention services on a multi-disciplinary basis. While elderly suicide mortality rate in Hong Kong has been higher than those of other age groups, this situation is similar to that of many other overseas countries. According to the findings of a previous elderly suicide study commissioned by the Administration, it is noted that most of the elderly suicide cases involved elders in poor health, with some of them suffering from depression.

 

     To reduce elderly suicide, apart from putting in place a number of general preventive measures, the Administration has also implemented specific measures to tackle the problem. General preventive measures include services provided by the Social Welfare Department (SWD), the Department of Health and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), geared towards promoting the physical and mental health of elders, raising their awareness of the psychological and physical changes associated with ageing, and helping them to make the necessary adjustments. Specific measures include the intervention services provided by the welfare and healthcare sectors, such as the territory-wide Elderly Suicide Prevention Programme (ESPP) run by the Hospital Authority (HA), and the elderly suicide preventive training courses arranged by SWD for both professionals and non-professionals.

 

     On the specific questions raised by Dr Hon Joseph LEE, my reply is as follows:

 

(a) HA has launched the ESPP in the second half of 2002, with the objective of referring elders identified by SWD, NGOs, doctors and social workers to have suicidal tendency to the psychogeriatric service for fast-track follow-up services, so as to reduce the incidence of elderly suicides. Under the programme, training courses have been organised for frontline staff on the prevention of elderly suicide. Home visits as well as telephone calls to elders in need are also made. At present, seven such fast-track clinics have been set up in Hong Kong. Attendance by elders at the fast-track clinics over the past two years is as follows:

 

Year               Number of Attendances at Fast-track Clinics

2002/2003                          1,063

2003/2004                          3,624

 

     In addition, the psychogeriatric teams attached to different clusters also provide community psychiatric service to elders living in the community (including those in elderly centres/subvented institutions/residing in their own homes).

 

     The statistics on psychogeriatric outreach attendances in the past five years are as follows:

 

Year                   Number of Psychogeriatric Outreach

                                       Attendances

1999/2000                                 30,408

2000/2001                                 31,173

2001/2002                                 37,462

2002/2003                                 38,046

2003/2004                                 41,502

 

     HA has not compiled specific statistical data on elders' waiting time for psychiatric specialty service. However, the median waiting time of new cases for psychiatric specialty outpatient service during 2003/2004 was four weeks. As the psychogeriatric team, which comprises healthcare staff such as doctors, nurses and allied health staff, handles cases jointly on a multi-disciplinary basis, and as nurses' duties cover outreaching service, as well as those in hospitals/day hospitals and clinics, nurses do not work on the basis of a specific number of cases.

 

(b) HA reviews its specialty services on a regular basis. The findings of an interim review of the ESPP showed that there was marked improvement in the psychological state of elders who had received service under the programme. HA will continue to deliver the service to reduce the risk of elderly suicide.

 

Ends/Wednesday, January 5, 2005

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