The ageing population has become an increasingly worrying problem for our city. Last year, your grandfather retired from his work. He felt bored and upset for a few months. He decided to change his lifestyle and is now a happy man. Write an article to a local newspaper about your grandfather’s changes. Based on his experience, suggest possible ways to cope with the aging problem in Hong Kong.
Retirement – the Beginning of Dying or the Start of a Brand-new Life?
The elderly population has expanded greatly in the past few decades, becoming a worrying problem in our city. Heavy financial burden and disconnectedness with society make our senior citizens vulnerable to emotional distress and mood swings. In the extreme case, the unattended elderly people may even take their own lives. Retirement is supposed to be a beginning of a wonderful elderly life, but it turns out that it is actually the start of dying for many. What has happened to our society? Are there any solutions to put a halt to this worrying trend?
Last year, my grandfather retired from his work of being a barber. In fact, he is still capable of doing his work. However, he was forced to give up his job simply because he has reached the age of 60. Having nothing to do during daytime, he spent hours after hours slumping on the couch and watching the flickering screen. He felt extremely bored and upset for a few months but he had never shared his unhappiness with anyone of his family, not even me, his most beloved granddaughter.
One day, I received a call from Miss Cheng, a social worker working at a community center near my grandpa’s home.
“I’m sorry to inform you that your grandfather has been diagnosed with the primary stage of depression. We discovered him during our last outreach service to the public housing estate nearby. If his blue feeling continues to accumulate and remains unnoticed…”
Tears streamed down my face at that moment. I felt extremely regretful for not taking care of my dearest grandfather well. If I had visited him more frequently and paid more attention to him, he wouldn’t have suffered a lot. I decided to talk deeply with him.
Since then, my grandfather decided to change his lifestyle. Instead of staying at home all the time and being a couch potato, he actively participates in activities organized by the community center, such as elderly computer lessons, “Super Senior” karaoke competition and so on. He has also become one of the volunteers of the center, teaching youngsters and elderly people about hairstyling. My grandfather is completely changed and he is now a happy man. He even tells me that his retired life is much more fruitful than any stages of life he had gone through before.
Our senior citizens had contributed a lot to our society and given us lots of love and support. Under no circumstance should they be left unattended or stuck in a vicious cycle of feeling blue. Different parties in society should join hands to turn the worrying situation around.
First of all, the government should play a leading role in addressing the problem. It should deploy more resources to subsidize various non-governmental organizations for carrying out different lifelong learning programs to the retired people in the city, just like what the community centre I have mentioned did. Such programs not only enable the elderly to have lifelong learning, but also help them stay connected with society, preventing them from bottling their unhappiness up.
Besides, the business sector also has a role to play. Enterprises could postpone the general retirement age from 60 to 65. From the case of my grandfather, one can easily recognize that many retired citizens are still able to work when they have reached the age of 60. They are, in fact, the most experienced, skilled labour. By keeping them at work, they could pass on their knowledge and skills to the younger generation, benefiting both the senior employees and the companies themselves.
Lastly, we, as the beloved relatives of our senior citizens, should bear the responsibility of being the gatekeepers and taking care of them well. They have given us lots of care from time to time and now it is the time for us to pay them back. Frequent visits to them or simply having casual chats with them are already enough to make them feel loved and cared.
Depression case among the elderly is one too many. No one should deserve being lonely or unattended to. Everyone in society should reach out to those in need, especially our emotionally vulnerable senior citizens. Together, we can make a difference.
Chan Sze Lok
6E 2015-16