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Technology capable of detecting when a flat or refrigerator door opens could help Hong Kong authorities remotely check on whether all is well with elderly residents living alone, a minister has said. Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun Yuk-han also said on Saturday that the government was testing using wearable devices as part of early detection measures for high-risk cases. He raised the idea just days after another elderly resident was discovered dead in their home, the latest in a recent spate of such incidents, triggering concerns about older Hongkongers living by themselves. The minister stressed that the government was committed to providing support for elderly residents and carers. “We are currently exploring the use of wearable systems or other technologies that we have seen in the market,” he told a radio programme. “It is rather simple, for example, by detecting the opening and closing of your refrigerator door or the door of your flat to assess whether you are living a normal life or maybe experiencing some problems. In that case, we can try to contact you promptly.” But the minister did not elaborate on how the proposed smart detection system would work. On Thursday, the remains of a 76-year-old woman were found at her Tseung Kwan O home unnoticed. She was believed to have died at least half a month ago. Last month, the skeletal remains of a 78-year-old woman were found in a public flat in Kwai Chung. A calendar in the home had reportedly stopped at the end of November 2023. Shopping receipts found at the flat suggested that the woman was likely to have died around that time. In May, an 83-year-old man was discovered dead in his home in Kwai Chung. He had not collected social welfare since January and had been in arrears with his rent since February. In his policy address this year, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu promised to install an intelligent accident detection system for 300 “high-risk” households. Sun said on Saturday that Hong Kong was home to more than 500,000 elderly people who either lived alone or just with their partner. “The Housing Department has a list and information on those living in public housing,” the minister said. “This can allow us to focus on these groups first, mobilising care teams to visit them and then providing services through social welfare organisations, such as regular phone calls or visits. “As for those living in private housing, we can work with the property management companies [to identify them]. But for those living in tenement buildings, or ‘three-nil buildings’, we may have to explore other ways.” A three-nil building refers to a multiple occupancy block that lacks an owners’ corporation, has no residents’ organisation, and is not overseen by a property manager. In July, the government launched a pilot programme in Sha Tin and Kwun Tong to support single elderly lodgers and “two-elderly” families. Sun said on Saturday that care teams had visited 5,000 elderly households, 400 of which were referred to social welfare agencies. The scheme was set to be expanded to all districts, he added.
