Lawmakers call for all-round 'carer support centres'
Lawmaker Connie Lam on Thursday called on authorities to set up all-round "carer support centres", where carers can not only receive professional assistance, but also just take a breather.  Her proposal follows an apparent attempted-murder and suicide tragedy this week at an MTR station, involving an elderly couple. It was reported that the woman had suffered from dementia. Lam, the deputy chair of Legco's subcommittee on promoting carer-centric policies, said the incident shows that current measures to support carers are not sufficient. She said the government could build centres in all 18 districts for carers to get assistance from social workers, psychologists and physiotherapists, as well as to have a break and let someone else take the strain. "We don't have a place for the carers to feel... being concerned about. We have to build a relaxing zone for the carers to have a massage, take a cup of tea or coffee. And then we find someone, a personal assistant or a volunteer who is trained to take care of the elderly," she said. Meanwhile, social welfare sector lawmaker Tik Chi-yuen said care teams should identify high-risk families during home visits, so they can take follow up action. Tik, who sits on the same Legco carer subcommittee, said hospitals can also ask elderly and disabled people to fill in a questionnaire, to find out if they are in need of further assistance. He said they will try to arrange a meeting with welfare minister Chris Sun to discuss the matter.