The murder of two corpses occurred in Sau Mo Ping Estate today (22nd), revealing that a pair of septuagenar brothers with intellectual problems refused to be assisted by others due to the deterioration of their condition and self-care ability after stopping follow-up consultations last year, and the elderly mother who had been responsible for taking care of the brother for many years was admitted to the hospital, so that the two brothers suspected that there was no one to take care of them at home and starved to death.

Dr Tin Seok-chuen, Chairman of the Regional Support Centre for the Mentally Handicapped in the New Territories West, considered the case to be a "high risk" situation. There are many reasons why patients are suspending follow-up, and hospitals should take the initiative to understand the reasons from patients and provide relevant assistance, such as sending social health nurses to visit their homes. Social worker Chan Wanchen also pointed out that social care nurses and outreach social workers can follow up on cases at the same time, and 24-hour care services will also be provided in residential care homes for people with intellectual disabilities, urging family members with normal intelligence to contact relevant institutions on their own initiative. He also believed that the Government's support for persons with disabilities was seriously insufficient at present, and hoped that the Government would provide more assistance.

The case is "high risk" and the child with intellectual disability is not properly cared for in case of emergency

The two brothers have suspended their follow-up visits to the hospital since mid-June last year, and their self-care ability has gradually deteriorated; The mother was admitted to hospital in May this year due to Candida auris and was unable to take care of the two brothers. Dr Tin Si-chuen, Chairman of the Regional Support Centre for the Mentally Handicapped in New Territories West, pointed out that many parents fail to properly arrange how to care for their children with intellectual problems when they return to old age after 6 years or encounter emergencies, nor do they seek help from relatives and friends, resulting in persons with intellectual disabilities not receiving appropriate care. He added that the case was "high risk" because the client belonged to a low-income family and was receiving CSSA to survive, and the elderly mother lived with two fifty-yearling brothers with intellectual problems, and it was estimated that the hospital or the Social Welfare Department should know their family status.

He also pointed out that the role of guardian is very important for people with intellectual disabilities, and brothers and sisters with normal intelligence can become their guardians. In addition, registered social workers of the Social Welfare Department can also apply to the Guardianship Committee to become guardians of patients to ensure their daily life. If the patient refuses to communicate with the guardian, the guardian should take the initiative to seek assistance from relevant institutions and actively observe their food, clothing, housing and transportation, rather than ignoring them.

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Community Nurses and Outreach Social Workers can follow up on cases at the same time

Ding pointed out that there are many reasons for patients to suspend follow-up consultations, and hospitals should take the initiative to understand the reasons from patients so as to provide relevant assistance, such as sending social health nurses to visit their homes and follow up the situation. If the case is a "high-risk" situation, HKHK nurses should actively call the patient every week or visit the home every few weeks to take care of the patient's needs. On the other hand, the Social Welfare Department may also dispatch registered outreach social workers to assist them in taking care of their lives and ensuring the safety of patients. If the patient's condition is life-threatening, the Psychiatric Ordinance can also be used to force the patient's admission.

He also pointed out that the needs of people with intellectual disabilities are generally ignored in society. At present, there are regional support centres for the disabled and dormitories for the mentally handicapped in each district. He appealed to able-minded family members to do their best to assist patients and seek help from SWD and hospitals so as to obtain appropriate care arrangements.

Social worker Chan Wan Chen also pointed out that social care nurses and outreach social workers can follow up on cases at the same time, and 24-hour care services will also be provided in residential care homes for people with intellectual disabilities. Some people with intellectual disabilities have low self-care ability and even cannot find food on their own, such as staying at home alone for a long time is very dangerous. Chan also said that at present, the Government's support for people with disabilities is seriously inadequate, whether it is outreach services for people with disabilities or community care nurses. He called on the government to invest more resources in training professionals and provide more relevant support services to avoid a recurrence of tragedies.

Neighbours should pay more attention to the situation of persons with intellectual disabilities in housing estates

Today, when the security guard of the building was outside the unit involved, he smelled a strong stench from the unit and called the police. After breaking into the house, the fire department confirmed that the two brothers had died, and their bodies had begun to decompose, and it was estimated that they had been dead for some time. Chan appealed to neighbours or security guards to pay more attention to the situation of people with intellectual disabilities in housing estates, and if they have not been seen for a period of time, they should take the initiative to visit their homes to find out. Family members can also take the initiative to leave contact information to neighbors to inform them of their daily situation. He also pointed out that the SWD's website contains comprehensive support information for persons with intellectual disabilities, including sheltered workshops or dormitories for persons with intellectual disabilities, etc., and urged the families of persons with intellectual disabilities to take the initiative to learn about relevant information.