A Hong Kong lawmaker has urged authorities to identify “high-risk” residents after an elderly man was found dead in a Tuen Mun flat he shared with a son who has an intellectual disability.
The body of the 78-year-old man was found at his home in Butterfly Estate, in Tuen Mun, on Thursday after a security guard on patrol detected a foul odour coming out of the flat and notified the police.
A police spokesperson told HKFP on Friday that the deceased’s 44-year-old son was found next to his body, but had no visible injuries. The son was taken to Tuen Mun Hospital for further checks.
According to local media reports, the son has an intellectual disability and the father had been his main caregiver. The son reportedly consumed leftover food from the Lunar New Year holidays for one or two days after his father passed away.
Lawmaker Bill Tang of the Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions said on Friday that the government should “actively” identify high-risk residents by compiling the information across departments.
“‘High risk’ means a person may not be able to call for help if something happens to them at home,” Tang told reporters in Cantonese during a press briefing.
He said the government should scrutinise data of residents receiving the Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) scheme, the old-age living allowance, as well as other subsidies for people with disabilities.
“It is very easy to identify the [elderly] living alone, and whether there is another person with a disability living in the household,” he said, adding that cross-referencing the data with residents’ medical records would enable authorities to identify those in need.
Tang also said assistive technologies should be explored for high-risk residents, for example, smart water meters or smart door gates, which could notify family members or estate security personnel if they have not been used after a while.
In 2023, two brothers with intellectual disabilities – aged 53 and 55 – were suspected to have died from starvation after their elderly mother – who was their main caregiver – was admitted to hospital.
Lawmakers and NGOs at that time called on the government to establish a system that would identify high-risk cases, allow departments to share information about them, and offer more timely intervention in case of an emergency.
