Chapter 15 Where will Hong Kong people go when they get old?

Zhengdong, Beijing, along the extension line of East Chang'an Avenue, cross the "Jingtong Highway" and get on the "Jingha Express". There is a very decent artificial lake on the north side of the first exit. There are green trees, grasslands and garden paths that are ready for people to walk at any time.This lake, together with a 5-storey building by the lake, was originally a three-star hotel developed and constructed in Longwangzhuang Township, Beijing. After I arrived in Hong Kong, I once imagined that if "Hualong" was moved to Hong Kong and a circle of tall buildings were built around the lake, then a wealthy residential area that was many times more "noble" than "Happy Valley" would suddenly be lost. It sold for a good price, but the developers in Beijing are willing to use such a good site to serve the elderly?

As for the elderly, compared with the elderly in Beijing and Hong Kong, although the latter is in a developed society, the situation of ordinary people is not as good as the former. I remember when I first arrived here, when I went to the street and looked up casually, I would inadvertently find signs of so-and-so "nursing homes". Nursing homes in many places are nestled in the city center or even in the business district. It seems that there are no suitable ones in Hong Kong. A house, where a bunch of old people will be placed immediately. Hong Kong has a large number of elderly people, partly because of longevity and partly because of housing shortages.So what kind of elderly people usually enter nursing homes?I didn’t know before I did the in-depth investigation. After the investigation, the outstanding impression: old age, hand and foot failure, brain failure, and many people can’t stand up, can’t walk, and can’t do without the care of the staff for a while. The situation seen in the apartment for the elderly is completely different.

In Beijing, I went to "Longhua" for the first time to visit a "year-old friend" of mine. This person is over half of 70. In terms of seniority, she is the earliest generation of female journalists after the founding of New China. She has dedicated her life to energy and wisdom. After entering the society, he had no children under his knees. After his wife passed away after retirement, he moved into a nursing home alone.When I went to see her, I hadn’t been to any nursing home in Hong Kong (note: Beijing is a “nursing home” and Hong Kong is a “nursing home”), and there was no comparison. I think her old age will be very exciting. Lonely, maybe in a miserable, pathetic situation.However, when I arrived in "Longhua", I found that this "year-old friend" lived a very nourishing life. The hardware conditions of the "elderly apartment" far exceeded my imagination. There is not only a huge artificial lake outdoors, but also all kinds of health care, Fitness, entertainment, and leisure venues and facilities: the infirmary, the gym, the chess and card room, and the painting room are all very large, with sufficient lighting and transparency.A group of old people walk around the artificial lake a few times every morning, either alone or in groups; during the day, they either get together to chat, play cards, or mahjong, or go to the gym to play with all the equipment one by one It's time to eat at noon and evening, and those who are willing to go to the canteen can go to the canteen. If they feel unwell, they can ask the staff to deliver the food to the room.That room, nearly 20 square meters, sleeps only two people, has TV, air-conditioning, toilet, 24-hour hot water supply, bedding is changed and washed regularly, and the room is cleaned regularly.If the resident is willing to spend more money, one person can also enjoy a single room. The "single room" here costs 2,000 yuan per month; two people share 1,200 yuan per person, including food expenses, cleaning fees, equipment fees, etc. in it.Hey, that Zizi, the situation is no worse than when she was in her own home.

But when I entered the nursing homes in Hong Kong, I went to three in a day, but I didn’t see a single house, a large open room, where the elderly lived side by side, face to face, and lived in groups.A better location is separated by wooden boards, like offices in a company. Hong Kong people call this kind of house "separated" by wooden boards "single room". Of course, the price is more expensive. If it is between 5,500 and 5,800, then such a "single room" generally costs more than 7,000 Hong Kong dollars. The word "nursing" in nursing homes in Hong Kong highlights its own characteristics. At the beginning, I wanted to ask my local friends who accompanied me: "Why are all nursing homes in Hong Kong called "nursing" instead of "nursing"? Such names are just It’s called differently from the mainland?” Before he could ask a question, he had already solved the mystery——

In the first nursing home, the person in charge of receiving us was a middle-aged woman called a "girl" (nurse). I saw the entire nursing home except for the wooden beds all over the world. Apart from the kitchen and bathroom, there is no other open space, so I asked the "girl": "Excuse me, do you have a recreation room and a gym here?" Answer: "Ah, yes." She meant that if I was a Hong Kong person, why would I ask such a layman's question, and then told me rather unexcitedly: "No, we only have some entertainment areas and fitness areas here, but you see Most of the elderly here are either physically palsy or cerebral palsy, how many of them can get up and exercise?"

When I arrived at the second house, I asked the same question to the "girl" here again. This time the "girl" here was very excited and said, "Yes." I asked, "Where is it?" A corner of the dormitory against the wall, let me see.When I looked at this "fitness area", there was indeed an old woman exercising, but what kind of "fitness equipment" was that old man using?There are two thick ropes hanging down from the beam above the head, each with a bracelet on the end. The old man is holding one in each hand and pulling it up and down. There is nothing beside her except this rope. .

With such conditions and such treatment, I can’t say that the nursing homes in Hong Kong are really beyond my expectations, because then I was told that even though the conditions in Hong Kong’s nursing homes are relatively simple, such a “home” is still everywhere. "Fully booked", many elderly people have to queue up if they want to come in, and the monthly fee is 5000 to 7000 is the most basic. In addition, many people have to spend every month for diapers (750 per month) 200), medical fare (according to taxi charges), as well as dressing changes, physical therapy, special services, etc.

"Where can Hong Kong people go when they are old?" To be honest, when I think of this question, I feel sorry for the world. In addition to the high price and poor pension conditions here, there is another problem, that is: if the children cannot pay such a high pension fee, or some elderly people are simply widowed all their lives, what should we do? When I left the nursing home, I naturally asked my escort to solve this problem that day. The escort said: "Yes, there are so many father-in-laws and mother-in-laws in Hong Kong. You can see that everyone is not only old, but also can't take care of themselves in most behaviors. It really poses a big problem for Hong Kong society. But if you want to ask the elderly Once the children can't afford the pension, there is no one to take care of the family, or there is no place to live at all, at this time, the government will come forward. In this regard, the Hong Kong government has done a good job. After the review, the government will Will pay the bill for the elderly. Do you know what it means to "pay the bill"? It means that the government will pay funds to each nursing home on time, entrusting the nursing home to take care of each elderly person in their old age. But once the government pays which one After the nursing home has paid the fee, the nursing home (in fact, including all nursing homes in Hong Kong) must obey the strict regulations of the government. These regulations include fire prevention, ventilation, basic bed density, food standards, and hygienic conditions. , First aid measures, etc., must meet the requirements of the government.”

In Hong Kong, there is no such thing as public nursing homes and kindergartens. They are all from the private sector. However, some nursing homes are purely private, and some are connected to government funding, so they will survive more steadily. . In 2001, people over 65 years old in Hong Kong accounted for 11% of the total population of this society, and Hong Kong's "MPF" was only announced and implemented after December 2000, which means that there is still a lot of people in this society A large number of elderly people without pensions are living in good health or debilitating diseases. This makes the Hong Kong government have to face the problem of "increasing aging" of the society, let alone bear the burden of at least 20 years on its shoulders. Therefore, Hong Kong society No chaos, no economic downturn.Once Hong Kong's economy can't keep up with the needs of all aspects, the worst situation is not the young people who can carry their belts for a few years no matter how hard they tighten their belts, but their parents, father-in-law and mother-in-law...