Call for transparency in elderly care home fees
The Consumer Council on Monday urged elderly care homes to be more transparent after most refused to take part in a survey it conducted. The council said it contacted nearly 300 nursing homes for information, but many failed to respond, saying they were too busy or wanted to keep the information confidential. Gilly Wong, the council's chief executive, said the response rate to the survey was not satisfactory. She stressed the importance of having price lists available to help people make better choices. "We think it is so important for the elderly homes to present their price list online, so that whoever is searching for an elderly home can at least compare all the different charges," she said.  "This time, for our survey, it is definitely not ideal. By sending almost 300 questionnaires out to the market, we received about 40 responses, which is undesirable." Among the 46 nursing homes that responded, the watchdog found a wide range of monthly fees, ranging from HK$6,000 to HK$82,000. Some homes also charged additional fees for electricity, nappies and extra services such as feeding or doctor visits. On average, one care worker was responsible for 15 to 20 residents, although in one home in Sha Tin, one care worker had to look after 35 residents during off-peak times.