Alone in the darkSome of the elderly who hang out in parks late at night
are victims of abuse
By Kelly Yip
It is almost midnight. Instead of being at home, 70-year-old Lee Yuen Ko is sitting in a park.
Mr. Lee has six children, but all of them have moved out. His wife passed away. One of his sons has not visited him for 10 years.
“It is lonely to stay home alone,” said Mr. Lee.
Indeed, Mr. Lee is not an isolated case. In older districts, many elderly people gather in parks till midnight. They talk, gamble, or just sit.
Prof. Lee Jik Joen of the Department of Social Work at The Chinese University of Hong Kong said that the elderly avoid loneliness this way.
“These elderly still have no one to talk to in parks, but they kill time by watching others hanging around,” said Prof. Lee.
The Hong Kong Society for the Aged is an organisation that provides social services for elderly people.
Mr. Chu Tze Tong is the assistant in charge of the SAGE Chan Tseng Hsi Tsuen Wan Multi-Service Centre for the Elderly.
“Most elderly people staying out at night are escaping from family problems. Some cases even involve maltreatment of the aged,” said Mr Chu.
Most of the elderly that loiter in parks say that they cool themselves down and save money by staying outside.
“It is a Chinese tradition to take a rest under a tree after dinner,” said Prof. Lee.
“Poor people have little to spend on entertainment, so sitting in parks has become a habit.”
Mr. Chu said that in Hong Kong, people hung out in parks in order to save electricity during the ’60s up through the ’80s.
“The elderly are doing what they have been doing.”
Ms. Rita Lam, chairperson of the Association for the Rights of the Elderly, respects this choice, but she is concerned about the security of old people sitting around in parks at all hours of the night.
Besides wandering around, some of them are gambling in parks.
Mr. Hui Kei Cheung, Kwai Tsing District Council member from Upper Tai Wo Hau, said, “Those gambling activities are under control of Triad societies.”
He said, “The police have made certain raids on Triad group members, but most have successfully escaped.
“Then the elderly become the scapegoats.”
Apart from security, health and welfare issues cause concerns.
Mr. Hui has received complaints about the elderly urinating in public areas.
“They pee in parks because toilets in shopping centres are closed after 10 p.m.
“The government should provide more 24-hour, high security public toilets. For instance, toilets should not be located in isolated areas.”
Most of the elderly hanging out at night also refuse to go to daycare centres.
Mr. Chu said, “Old people hanging out at night reject formal organizations.
“They regard themselves as the least civilized class and refuse to join others. They are afraid of communication and social life because their self-esteem is low.”
Some elderly are not interested in daycare activities because they find the locations inconvenient. Many of them have difficulty travelling.
Mr. Chu said, “They feel more comfortable interacting with the same kind of people in parks.”
Rules like prohibitions against spitting also drive the elderly away from daycare centres, especially men.
Ms. Lam said, “Old people are accustomed to living their own way. They are not used to social life.
“Daycare centres should provide the elderly with private space.”
Mr. Chu said that the elderly are also slow to seek help.
“It takes time to develop mutual confidence between social workers and the elderly in order to discover their problems,” said he.
Outreach services are also needed to detect individual problems. However, because of a lack of capital, daycare centres can provide only social activities.
The Elderly of the Lady S.K.H. Lady Maclehose Centre aims at providing social networks and outreach services for the elderly.
Mr. Mo Kai Kin is in charge of its support team.
Said Mr. Mo: “We identify potential problematic elderly and prioritize them by categories so that we can arrange social workers and volunteers to follow up on them.”
Mr. Mo said that the team has limited resources to deal with all of the elderly in a district because there are only two social workers and one clerk in a team.
“It is estimated that there are 5,000 potential clients, but we have discovered only 1,700. Certainly, two social workers are not enough,” said he.
Ms. Vivian Wong Yau Yuk, in charge of the SAGE Outreach and Pooled Bus Service for the Elderly, said, “Our centre mainly focuses on recreation. Our outreach services have target groups, and we do not approach unfamiliar elderly.
“Besides, the Social Welfare Department has organized support teams for the elderly. It’s inappropriate to intervene,” said Ms. Wong.
A spokesperson for the Social Welfare Department said, “We respect the freedom of the elderly. They can sit in parks if they want to. If they need help, they are welcome.
“Like what the director of the Social Welfare Department said, we try our best to actively help the elderly in all dimensions, but we don’t see this phenomenon as a problem.”
Meanwhile, Mr. Lee Yuen Ko is desperate.
“I can do nothing. It’s very difficult to ask for help from both my kids and the government,” said he.
“I have contributed much to my family and society,” said he.
“But I am left alone.”
Vien Wong
Natalie SiuElderly gambling in parks may become the scapegoats of Triad gangs.
