The epidemic is raging, and the public chooses to reduce going out to avoid contracting the virus, and the time spent at home has greatly increased.
A survey conducted by a caregiver group found that under the epidemic, carers are facing greater pressure in their lives. Among them, carers and carers of children with special educational needs (SEN) have the longest caring hours, most of which exceed 41 hours a week, nearly half of them The caregivers are more elderly, that is, they need to take care of family members of the same age or older, reflecting that it is common for the elderly to care for the elderly.
Some caregivers in their 70s expressed that they were tired from taking care of their family members around the clock, and worried that their physical strength and health would not be able to cope with daily care in the future: "I don't know how long I will be able to take care of them."
Concern groups considered that the government should provide more assistance to carers, including regular carer allowance and a one-stop carer service information platform.
From August 2020 to January this year, the Carer Access Platform successfully collected data on more than 1,600 carers, and found that more than 80% (83%) were female, and nearly half (48.9%) were elderly people aged 61 or above. Among them, nearly 10% (6.5%) of elderly carers are 81 years old or above.
The data shows that carers and carers of children with special educational needs (SEN) are mostly caring for 61 hours or more per week, which is comparable to full-time workers.
The caregivers of children with special educational needs (SEN) are also women, mainly younger mothers. They not only lose career development opportunities due to child care, but also spend a lot of time on their children and lack breathing time.
Under the epidemic, family members spend more time at home, and a situation of trapped animals has also formed, which has greatly increased their pressure.
94 senior caregivers over the age of 81 in the survey
The data also reflect that the use of elder care for the elderly is a common phenomenon in Hong Kong society.
There are 94 elderly caregivers aged 81 or above in the survey. Whether the elderly caregivers have sufficient physical strength and health to take care of others is also worth reflecting on.
He Guanxiong, representative of the Carers Access Platform Committee, pointed out that in general, elderly care cases are couples, and one party takes care of the other's daily life, such as three meals a day and seeing a doctor.
He pointed out that most of the elderly have different health problems, and it is difficult to just help with bathing.
He also pointed out that carers spend a lot of time taking care of their families, and their financial situation is dependent on those who go out to work, making them unable to relieve the pressure on all parties. "Maybe they don't even have time to go out to cut their hair."
He Guanxiong, representative of the Carers Access Platform Committee, pointed out that in general, elderly care cases are couples, and one party takes care of the other's daily life, such as three meals a day and seeing a doctor.
(Pictures provided by the Caregiver Access Platform)
Seventy-something elder takes care of his cognitively disabled sister alone
Uncle Liang, 72, is the caregiver of his 74-year-old sister.
My sister was diagnosed with dementia a few years ago. Since other family members could not share the care work, Mr. Leung took up the responsibility of the carer alone.
Uncle Liang was tired of having to take care of his sister around the clock. He also bluntly stated that his personality was rather irritable. At first, he didn't know much about dementia.
Under the epidemic, Uncle Liang received limited information and did not dare to go out due to the severity of the epidemic. "I was so afraid that I would go out, and then my sister went out on her own, accidentally getting sick."
As Mr. Liang got older, in addition to the daily pressure of care, he was even more worried that his physical strength and health would not be able to cope.
As for Ms. Zhang, who now has a son and a daughter, she said that when the youngest son was in the first grade of kindergarten, he had found that he had behavioral problems. After a referral evaluation, it was found that the youngest son had an autism spectrum, hyperactivity and insufficient concentration.
Under the epidemic, the school suspended face-to-face classes and replaced them with online classes. The younger son spent more time at home. "He will procrastinate all day long, jump around, and stop screaming." When there is an accidental physical collision, the younger son's emotions The meeting broke out immediately and needed her comfort. "I used to go to school and playgrounds to meet people. She is about to go to primary school. I don't know how to calculate it.
Ms. Zhang hopes that her youngest son will receive more professional training. She also hopes that community service will allow her to have a personal space and relieve the pressure of daily care.
Sandwich caregiver: take good care of me, but can't take care of an old man
On the other hand, the stress situation of "sandwich caregivers" is even more of concern. Mrs. Lao is one of them. She needs to take care of her mother with diabetes and cerebrovascular occlusion, as well as a 9-year-old who suffers from hyperactivity and cerebral vascular occlusion. Attention deficit and autism spectrum son.
Mrs. Lao pointed out that under the epidemic, her son needs to go to the classroom, but his concentration is low and it is difficult for him to attend classes.
Staying at home for a long time also made his son's mood fluctuate. "In the past, I could go out to discharge, but I don't have a home. He would shout every day, and would be very anxious. He tried to vent by hitting his head against the wall."
She described the current situation as a trapped beast.
Mrs. Lao mentioned that in addition to taking care of her son, she also has to take care of her mother on weekdays, including daily living, eating, cooking and feeding medicine. Because the elderly are more forgetful, she needs to remind her to take medicine regularly.
Mrs. Lao felt a lot of pressure on her daily care. "I take good care of me, but I can't take care of an elderly person."
Platform urges not to let caregivers shoulder the burden alone
The Carer Access Platform urges carers not to ignore their own needs and seek help as soon as possible. It also reminds their relatives and friends not to let them bear the burden alone. If other members of the family should help to share the burden, other stakeholders in the society should also support the carer , such as establishing notification and referral, early detection of lost elders and caregivers in need of support, etc.
The platform also recommends to establish rest days for carers and arrange backup carers; the government should provide regular allowances to provide financial support for full-time unpaid carers; and to provide a one-stop carer service information platform can also allow all carers Breathe and relieve stress.
Women caregivers act as paint volunteers to solve problems for others Concerned organizations: hope to create me-time for them Full-time caregivers are stressed, the self-image of the care recipients is low, family happiness is lower than the average in Hong Kong , sharing sessions, nurseries to support caregiver needs
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