Obra das Maes calls for gov’t to invest in elderly care

With elderly care becoming a pressing need in Macau society, social service organization Obra das Maes has suggested that the government should increase its investment in related services.
“With Macau’s population stepping into an aging society, services for the elderly have drawn a larger demand from the public. The two elderly homes affiliated with our organization have limited residential spaces, but we have deeply felt the earnest expectations from citizens,” stated Obra das Maes’ president, Ms Ho Teng Iat, in her speech at a media dinner on Monday.
The non-profit organization runs two residential care homes for the elderly, admitting those over the age of 60 and who are unable to care for themselves. The two homes currently accommodate a total of 92 residents and have a long waiting list, with nearly 350 applicants hoping to move in.
“I think care services for elderly people are an urgent need of Macau and its citizens. We hope that the government will increase its investment in this area,” the president stressed, “because we hope to enhance service quality to our [clients] and add more facilities, so that our elderly residents can enjoy their old age.”
Ms Ho explained that Obra das Maes tries to strengthen its services according to the pace of Macau’s development and social demands; over the years, it has overcome many difficulties in order to carry out nursing, elderly care and childcare services through its social welfare facilities.
Many families choose to send elderly relatives with special needs to live in a care home, which can provide professional services round the clock, such as basic healthcare and physiotherapy treatment.
“It’s safer for them to live in elderly homes, because they are provided with what one single domestic worker cannot do. For instance, when you bathe an elderly person, you may need to help them stand up. It’s hard for a domestic helper to manage that, but in care homes, several care workers would work together,” explained Ms Kong Sio Leng, an association supervisor.
Although they can see the pressing demand for elderly care services, the association has no plans to open another care home.
“We don’t have [the] manpower for that; that needs more care workers. And it’s very difficult to recruit care workers from outside, because the rent is too high for them to stay here,” explained an association member. “[The lack of a] venue is also a problem; we don’t have space.”