'Mentally-ill Left Waiting For Years For Care Homes'

Shortage of facilities for mentally disabled in Hong Kong is leaving some families waiting for up to 13 years for a spot in government-subsidised care homes, a group working with such families said on Saturday.

Lee Chi-yung, the spokesman of the Association of Parents of the Severely Mentally Handicapped, said that people with mental disabilities can only start applying for a space at government-subsidised care homes when they reach 15 years-old, and that the wait can take at least five years and eight months.

Lee told an RTHK radio programme that for a spot in care homes catering to those with severe mental disabilities, the wait could be as long as 13 years.

He said there is a serious shortage of care services for people with special needs in various local districts.

Parents who look after such people often get very little support during non-office hours, and that the Social Welfare Department's 24-hour hotline often goes to voicemail, he said.

Lee urged the government to have quotas for care home services for various districts according to the needs, so mentally disabled people won't have to go to another district to seek help.

His comments come after reports that a 46-year-old woman was arrested in Kwai Chung on suspicion of murder in connection with the death of her 21-year-old son, who was believed to be mentally disabled.