On a Tuesday afternoon, Kaden Yau Chi-kit plays a game with an elderly resident in a senior care home. Yau is 33 years old, and he is a senior nursing officer at Pine Care Jade Maison in Sheung Shui.
Dancing leaves were projected onto the table. Yau and the resident tapped the leaves to turn them into butterflies and earn points. This game helps seniors to have fun.
“[This place] is my home,” said Choi, who is in his 80s and preferred to use only his surname. “My favourite time of day is playing mahjong with my friends here after lunch.”
Yau has worked in this industry for nine years, but his job is not easy. He serves meals, cleans up after residents and at times, witnesses their deaths. Still, he is passionate about his work.
“People often mention the dirty work of cleaning up faeces and urine. But it has never really bothered me,” said the young carer, who is also a registered nurse. “If they have limited abilities, it’s our responsibility to help them live with dignity and comfort. ”
Many elderly spend their final years in care homes. Hong Kong has about 800 care homes that offer more than 79,000 beds for seniors. Around 40 per cent of these spots are subsidised by the Social Welfare Department.
But there are still many elderly people in Hong Kong who are waiting for a spot in these subsidised care homes. Some of them pass away while waiting.
A day in the life of an elderly care worker
Working for a local NGO inspired Yau’s passion for helping the elderly. During that time, he would give out food to people in need and visit seniors living alone in public housing estates.
“There were many elderly people living alone who needed help with basic tasks like eating or simply having someone visit them. With ... few visitors, their isolation was apparent,” he said.
This showed Yau that more support is needed in Hong Kong for senior care. Then, he finished a two-year training programme on the mainland and started his career in this sector.
Every morning, Yau checks how the residents are doing by seeing if they are uncomfortable or if anything has changed from the night before. He also works with his colleagues to make sure every resident is cared for.
“Our service quality depends on the collaboration of all departments – kitchen, cleaning, laundry and social services,” he explained.
“When every team works together, our elderly residents receive better care.”
In his career, Yau remembers two emergencies when he had to save patients: “Not only do you need to administer first aid immediately, you must also notify their family, call an ambulance, cooperate with colleagues to get emergency equipment and help pack up things.”
More young people needed in senior care
Yau noted that many seniors and their families avoid care homes because they believe that staff do not care or that the service is poor.
“But in reality, many institutions are doing great work, with dedicated staff who genuinely care for the elderly,” Yau said.
He also explained that Hong Kong does not have enough workers in the senior care industry. This situation was especially challenging when elderly homes suffered from the Covid-19 pandemic and many staff quit.
Yau wants people to appreciate carers because they have a challenging job.
“Every service we provide has its own details, procedures and techniques,” he said.
Despite the challenges, Yau has noticed that more young people are interested in aged care. He hopes students can have more chances to visit or intern at care homes.
Yau said that patience and empathy are key for this job.
“Just by pausing for a moment and setting aside what we are doing to listen to the elderly for even 30 seconds, it can make them feel respected.”
