Dear Editor,

I am writing in response to the letter entitled “Do the elderly deserve our attention?” published on 3rd May 2008. I am supportive of the idea that the elderly in Hong Kong face a lot of difficulties, and they really deserve our attention.

Now, the elderly are not able to get around Hong Kong. As a matter of fact, the public transport fees are soaring gradually. A majority of the elderly have no income and live on pensions only. Therefore, the older generation cannot keep up with fee increases. Besides, the crowded compartments in public transport are occupied, and the passengers often have no intention to offer seats to the elderly. Consequently, it is really painful for the elderly who are physically disabled.

Furthermore, the young generation mainly devotes their time and energy to their occupations and academic achievements. Because of their heavy workload, the young are likely to feel exhausted and have no energy to take care of the elderly. As a consequence, senior citizens have been neglected by the young generation and lead a solitary life.

To tackle these problems, the government ought to provide more social welfare for the senior citizens. For example, the government could increase the monthly financial assistance. Moreover, the government could offer a widely-recognized card to the senior citizens as well. Therefore, the elderly could enjoy the additional discount of travelling as well as shopping.

In addition, schools should teach the knowledge of filial piety to the young generation. For instance, schools can tailor-make some materials and show students how to be respectful to the elderly. Consequently, the young generation would be more considerate to the senior citizens.

On a personal level, we should strike a balance between working and taking care of the elderly. In our daily lives, we have to show more care about the old generation by communicating with them on a regular basis. If we can keep interacting with them constantly, I believe that they would be more satisfied with their lives.

To conclude, the elderly totally deserve our attention. I hope that people can eventually raise awareness of the elderly.

Yours faithfully,
Blessie Chan