Hong Kong has a public long-term care (LTC) system, which is a universal system built on the principle of social equity. LTC services in Hong Kong are regulated by the Social Welfare Department and provided by various NGOs under public subvention to elderly citizens (aged 65 and over) with proven care needs which are assessed under the Standardised Care Need Assessment Mechanism for Elderly Services (SCNAMES). The Mechanism covers applications for subsidised community care and residential care services. Assessors under this Mechanism are professionals from various disciplines, such as social workers, nurses, occupational therapists, and physiotherapists, who are required to be trained and to be accredited for the use of the assessment tool. Older people are eligible for subsidised LTC services if they are assessed as moderately or severely impaired (e.g., defined by age, physical and cognitive functional disability, and dependency) under SCNAMES. If subsidised care places are not readily available, eligible older people will be placed on the Central Waiting List on a first-come-first-served basis according to their registration dates and preferences. The major potential barrier to access LTC services in Hong Kong is its insufficient supply, which results in long waiting times for different types of service (Social Welfare Department, 2019a). Since public LTC service in Hong Kong is universal as well as almost fully subsidised and distributed over the territory, factors such as gender, race, income, and geographical location do not contribute as barriers to access LTC services.

References:

Social Welfare Department. (2019a). List of Self-financing Day Care Centres for the Elderly (as at March 2019). Hong Kong: Social Welfare Department, HKSAR Retrieved from https://www.swd.gov.hk/storage/asset/section/616/en/List_of_self-financing_DE_(March_2019).pdf.