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Thursday, Oct 31, 2024
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TV fracas ends in tragedy
A 75-year-old resident has been arrested for allegedly killing another elderly man in a fight at a care home in Mong Kok.
Police said the suspect and the victim, a 74-year-old man, were involved in a fist fight on Friday at an elderly care home on Ivy Street, Mong Kok.
The victim, Chan, fell to the ground at the height of the fight, police said.
It is understood that the fight started around 9 pm at Fuk Wing Home when residents were watching television at the care home and the suspect, Wai, became angry with Chan for blocking his view of the television set.
That soon degenerated into a fight that only ended when Chan landed on the floor following a push.
Although Chan was conscious with no obvious injuries, staff still sent him to Kwong Wah Hospital for further observation as a precautionary measure.
Chan was declared dead at 10.06 am the next day, with the cause of death yet to be determined. Wai was arrested Saturday night for suspected manslaughter and has been detained.
The case is being investigated by officers of the Mong Kok district crime squad. A postmortem will be conducted.
Grace Li Fai, a member of the Elderly Commission, said the elderly are often involved in altercations, however it is uncommon for them to end in a death.
With care-home operations returning to normal now that pandemic curbs have been dispensed with, Li said there will be more varied activities for the elderly.
She said there have been occasions for such conflicts among the elderly, and if arrangements could not be made for residents to watch TV separately, staff need to be alert to the risks and prevent incidents as soon as possible.
Most elderly in care homes, she said, have chronic illnesses and heart problems, and such an incident may result in irreversible consequences.
She believes such incidents are not related to the size of a care home. Staff at small, family-style homes should pay more attention to those in need and be able to take care of various situations simultaneously.
If an elderly resident is found to cause conflict with others, he or she must be separated from others to give them space to prevent hostilities from breaking out. Or relevant action, including medication or hospitalization, must be taken, Li said.
The victim, Chan, fell to the ground at the height of the fight, police said.
It is understood that the fight started around 9 pm at Fuk Wing Home when residents were watching television at the care home and the suspect, Wai, became angry with Chan for blocking his view of the television set.
That soon degenerated into a fight that only ended when Chan landed on the floor following a push.
Although Chan was conscious with no obvious injuries, staff still sent him to Kwong Wah Hospital for further observation as a precautionary measure.
Chan was declared dead at 10.06 am the next day, with the cause of death yet to be determined. Wai was arrested Saturday night for suspected manslaughter and has been detained.
The case is being investigated by officers of the Mong Kok district crime squad. A postmortem will be conducted.
Grace Li Fai, a member of the Elderly Commission, said the elderly are often involved in altercations, however it is uncommon for them to end in a death.
With care-home operations returning to normal now that pandemic curbs have been dispensed with, Li said there will be more varied activities for the elderly.
She said there have been occasions for such conflicts among the elderly, and if arrangements could not be made for residents to watch TV separately, staff need to be alert to the risks and prevent incidents as soon as possible.
Most elderly in care homes, she said, have chronic illnesses and heart problems, and such an incident may result in irreversible consequences.
She believes such incidents are not related to the size of a care home. Staff at small, family-style homes should pay more attention to those in need and be able to take care of various situations simultaneously.
If an elderly resident is found to cause conflict with others, he or she must be separated from others to give them space to prevent hostilities from breaking out. Or relevant action, including medication or hospitalization, must be taken, Li said.
