The Macau Social Security Society (ADSSDM) hosted a press conference yesterday to announce that its latest survey report shows that a mere 14.8 percent of elderly people are willing to live in the government’s seniors’ rental housing estate.

The survey targeted 1,081 Macau residents aged 45 and above, aiming to gain a deeper understanding of elderly care issues and pointing out that the current elderly care system is facing four major challenges: economic, housing, services, and cross-border elderly care.

The findings of the survey indicate that Macau’s elderly face challenges in retirement due to the dual pressure from financial constraints and living conditions. About 40 percent of seniors primarily rely on government subsidies, old-age allowances, or pensions for their livelihood.

The findings point that only 19.2 percent of the respondents consider these financial sources sufficient to cover basic expenses. This financial limitation directly contributes to seniors’ difficulty in affording the city’s high rental housing costs, with merely 14.8 percent willing to move into units designated for the elderly, while 56 percent live in homes that lack age-friendly modifications.

Macau’s elderly care services are severely misaligned with the actual needs of seniors, according to the findings. A significant portion, i.e., 41 percent of the elderly population, has never utilised any elderly care services, primarily due to concerns regarding the perceived reasonableness of the services provided, apart from service quality and coverage. The low service penetration rate has directly hindered the development of Macau’s “silver-haired industry”, leading 46.5 percent of the respondents to express reluctance to spend on the sector.

According to the findings, the survey concluded that there exists a critical need for a multi-faceted approach to address Macau’s elderly care challenges. It proposed strengthening financial security through innovative instruments like annuities, optimising housing conditions via tiered-pricing units and enhanced subsidies for age-friendly retrofitting of old buildings, and expanding community healthcare services through telemedicine and improved support service coverage.

It also advocated for nurturing the silver-haired industry via policy incentives and dedicated development funds, while promoting cross-border collaboration within the Greater Bay Area (GBA) to integrate regional resources and expertise. These measures collectively aim to bridge the gap between service supply and demand while fostering a sustainable ecosystem for elderly well-being. 

THE MACAU POST DAILY

https://www.macaupostdaily.com/news/25773