Are you taking care of your loved one? It is always a heartwarming but demanding and frustrating duty to take care of your old aged loved one, especially during the chaotic period of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Here, I would like to share with you two stories about two carers. 86-year-old Aunt Mak is a very tough old lady who takes care of her 98-year-old husband. Her husband is completely blind with limited mobility, which means he is totally dependent on Aunt Mak in his everyday life. Unfortunately, he was infected with Omicron in late February. Aunt Mak devoted all her time and attention into taking good care of her husband and kept their home as clean as possible. But the fear and anxiety that resulted, led to a number of sleepless nights for Aunt Mak.

My second story is about Mr Chan, a 79-year-old who has to take care of his wife, suffering from dementia. Mr Chan lives in a shadow of isolation that not many people can understand. Mr Chan says looking after his wife makes him feel like he is taking care of a little child. Everyday, Mr Chan runs in a repetitive cycle, where he has to ask his cognitively impaired wife to eat, take medication, put on clothes, and stay away from any dangerous situations. Though both Mr and Mrs Chan had recovered from COVID-19, Mr Chan feels very lonely as no one can easily share his burden, thoughts and feelings, especially under the current pandemic.     

Problems faced by Aunt Mak and Mr Chan are just the tip of the iceberg. Hong Kong Christian Service surveyed nearly 300 carers of the elderly in April this year to find out more about the difficulties they faced, and also the support measures they needed during COVID-19. The results are worrying and noteworthy.

Results showed that around 21% of carers were aged 65 or above, which means that many elderly people were actually taking care of the elderly. The survey also found that over 85% of carers were suffering from mild to severe depression. Almost one out of ten carers frequently thought they “would be better off dead,” or had considered self-harm. There is no doubt that the pandemic has placed a heavy burden on the carers.

Findings from the survey also showed that four of the five most common difficulties encountered by carers were related to the pandemic and medical information, including difficulty understanding the government’s quarantine arrangements, lack of accurate medical information, confusion in reporting self-test positive results and inadequate knowledge about COVID-19. Besides, the “me time” of carers was reduced because they needed to take care of their elders at home around the clock during the pandemic.

And regarding the support measures, almost 60% of carers hoped that their elders could continue to have follow-up consultations with doctors about their chronic illness and access the medicines they need during COVID-19. Other effective measures they needed were early identification of elders with special needs, efficient follow-up to the infected elders, short-term food assistance services for those in quarantine and accessible ambulance services.

Based on the findings of our survey, we urge the government and all stakeholders to work together in implementing the following recommendations: First, the district-based support network should be strengthened. For instance, the government can maintain a list of high-risk individuals to effectively identify families with special needs and coordinate district groups in the distribution of anti-epidemic supplies and daily necessities to those infected. Also, the primary care system in each district should be better utilised. With an effective triage system, priority should be given to the frail elders for medical treatment and quarantine.

And finally, we encourage carers to pay more attention to their mental health and seek professional help as soon as possible if necessary, and the government should enhance post-pandemic emotional support in order to rebuild the mental health of those in need.

While there is no sign that COVID-19 will go away anytime soon, the carers and their elders need our support to get through these challenging times, and we must let them know that they are not alone. I would like to dedicate to all carers in Hong Kong a cover of Michael Jackson’s “Heal the World” by Korean Singer J.Fla. Our world may be full of wounds. Together, by instilling hope and promoting harmony, we can heal the world. We can make a better place for our elderly and a better future for our children.