Lack of life and death education in Hong Kong, HKU study finds

Up to 70 percent Hongkongers have not heard of the concept of “end-of-life care” - a type of health care provided in the time leading up to a person's death, a University of Hong Kong study found, suggesting a lack of life and death education in the city.

The findings came after the university's Faculty of Social Sciences interviewed 1,506 adults between July and October last year.

The study found around 75 percent of the respondents had not discussed their wishes for end-of-life care with family members, citing difficulties in starting the conversation, concerns about their family members’ reactions and their lack of knowledge on the topic.

It is also found that most of the respondents prefer receiving end-of-life care in care homes rather than at home.

Meanwhile, study results showed that over 75 percent of the respondents felt comfortable or did not experience any discomfort during discussions about death, yet a majority of them have not heard of the concept of “Advance Care Planning” and “Advance Medical Directive.”

Amy Chow Yin-man, HKU’s Department Head of the Department of Social Work and Social Administration, said the study suggested that there is a lack of life and death education in Hong Kong.

“People’s openness in discussions towards death does not necessarily mean that information related to the matter can reach them, and I believe that the current promotion of life and death education is insufficient.

“Some citizens find the procedures cumbersome and are concerned about the legal effectiveness of relevant documents. These reasons contribute to their reluctance to take the necessary steps.” Chow said.