Shenzhen care homes prove grass is greener on other side of the fence, but 37,000 of Hong Kong’s elderly are far from convinced
Just 180 seniors have opted to take advantage of government scheme offering places in facilities in mainland China – despite them coming with fresh air, gardens and plenty of room
More than 37,000 elderly people are waiting for a subsidised place in one of Hong Kong’s residential care homes – and not even the lure of gardens, fresh air, and six times more living space, is enough to convince the majority of them to consider a different option.
Four years after the government launched the Pilot Residential Care Services Scheme in Guangdong offering 400 places at facilities in mainland China, just 180 seniors have taken advantage of the arrangement, skipping a three-year waiting period for a place in Hong Kong in the process.
The homes, in Shenzhen and Zhaoqing, sit in stark contrast to their space-starved counterparts across the border in the world’s least affordable housing market.
A garden, a rooftop with plenty of space to watch the world go by, and about 400 square feet per person – in Hong Kong care homes are required to provide a minimum of 70 square feet for each resident.
“The room in Hong Kong is much smaller,” said Wong Shui-yiu, an 83-year-old living in Yee Hong Heights in Shenzhen. “Here the air is so good with this garden. It feels like a fairyland.”
