媒體報道
Varsity – Issue 161
Turning Time into Love and Money – NGOs run time banks to build social capital in a caring community.
By Winkie Ng
Living in Shek Kip Mei with many elderlies, Wong Kit-ling, a participant of the Sham Shui Po Sham Shum Fook Time Bank scheme, has helped to run exercise classes for the elderly since November 2021.
She first joined the scheme in March 2021 to help a blind elderly buy food and cook meals.
“Some disabled elderlies need help for daily living. Seeking help has been more difficult after many district councillors resigned. Even if some organizations can offer help, they charge around HK$80 to HK$90 per hour. Not everyone can afford it,” the 67-year-old woman sighs.
Under the Sham Shum Fook time bank scheme, participants can earn time credits at a rate of one time credit per minute by doing social services. They can either spend them on participating in services, trainings and activities or donate them…
【明報專訊】這天，84歲的家興伯伯獲安老院批准外出，撐着拐杖走到作品展。眼前色彩斑斕的花樽、手袋、杯墊，是他退休後憑着一雙巧手以廢物製成。勞碌半生後才發現天賦，獨居的家興過去數年參加社福機構試驗的「時間銀行」計劃，以手藝及開班教學掙取時分，也用「時分」換取所需照顧服務。有退休社工年初成立新平台「仁人友福」，冀將時間銀行推至全港18區，鼓勵長者互助，老有所為，助長者居家安老⋯⋯
香港人長壽，男、女平均壽命已位列世界第一。未來醫療科技進步，由從前慨嘆「人生七十古來稀」已逐步邁向「長命百二歲」。伴隨人口老化及壽命延長，回應安老需求是刻不容緩的社會責任。現在，香港已實實在在是「高齡社會」【註1】。按2016年中期人口普查結果，65歲及以上長者佔全港人口的16%，每十戶家庭便有一戶是「全老戶」【註2】。根據政府推算，2024年全港超過五分之一人口為65歲以上人士 【註3】，屆時將會進入「超高齡社會」，現時大部分長者照顧由家庭成員或社福機構分擔，可以預計未來數年各類老人服務短缺情況只會日益嚴重，加重照顧者的壓力。
長者年輕時照顧家庭，貢獻社會，晚年理應獲得適切的長期照護，可惜本港安老服務長期遠遠落後於需求，輪候時間不斷增加。隨著「全老戶」的數目不斷上升，如何滿足獨居長者的照護需要亦成為一大難題。長遠而言，單靠社福機構增加資源實難以追上需求。如何有效帶動社區互助，累積社區資源則是紓緩安老服務需求的契機。另一方面，由長者角度出發，若能維持生活自主，兼顧生活品質，保留熟悉的社交環境、維持良好的睦鄰關係，亦是安享晚年的重要因素。協助長者居家安老，最有效的方法必然由社區做起⋯⋯
