Elderly at Tseung Kwan O meet and share with young people

Publish Date: 02-Oct-2019

Staff at the Tseung Kwan O Aged Care Complex found that the conflicts surrounding the announced to-be-withdrawn extradition bill have caused emotional distress to the elderly. They became unwilling to communicate with friends and the staff because they were worried about being misunderstood or disturbing the harmony if they expressed their views openly. In response to this situation, the Tseung Kwan O elderly care concern group and the staff at the complex held two community events for the elderly to share their views with people with different perspectives. In the event held on 13 August, thirty elderly met with fifteen young people to exchange views.

The participants, staff, and instructors split into groups to discuss issues. The staff steered the conversation, timed participants’ speeches and summarized their views on the whiteboard to show that although people have different opinions, they still share some common principals.

The staff members were nervous when organizing the events but are now thankful for their bold move when they see the tension dissipating from the elderly complex. The elderly appreciated and supported these exchanges. Many of them said that they knew little about the thoughts of the young before the events, but they now have a more comprehensive view, which they found inspiring.