Illness, isolation and suicidal thoughts: Hong Kong’s senior caregivers struggle through COVID-19

There’s a short flight of steps leading to their house. But to 73-year-old Pun Sum Wing, it takes some effort getting his wife, a wheelchair user, around. So he built a wooden ramp, complete with rubber strips, to wheel her in and out of the house. It’s a steep incline and his wife, Law Mui, needs assurance. Mr Pun gently comforts her and within a few moments, they’re home. Mrs Pun has dementia and is unable to move on her own, so Mr Pun bathes and feeds her. It’s a familiar routine; one that the couple has been following for most of the past decade. “It’s my responsibility to take care of my wife. I don't want to bother my children as they’re working and need to take care of their own families,” he said.