By South China Morning Post | Created at 2024-12-25 01:11:35 | Updated at 2024-12-25 13:05:11
12 hours ago
Experts and groups dedicated to helping people with dementia in Hong Kong have called for more community and technological support to prevent sufferers from going missing in wake of recent tragedies involving those with the illness.
Technologies such as smart tracking devices had become an increasingly useful tool in protecting dementia patients from getting lost, they said, calling for more resources to boost their popularity.
The Post found that at least four elderly residents with dementia were reported missing by media and authorities between August and this month.
Among the recent tragedies was a case involving a 72-year-old Pakistani man who was found dead next to Tuen Mun Road earlier this month after being missing for six days. A source said he had dementia.
Initial investigations suggested the man could have fallen from the adjacent 30-metre (98-foot) slope and hit a hard object.
The Post also found that at least five dementia sufferers, all aged above 60, were reported missing by media and authorities in 2023.
