Mao Lei, People’s Daily
China’s Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) is about to celebrate the 20th anniversary of its return to the motherland, and the region now enjoys a favorable social atmosphere where its senior citizens are well loved, respected and protected, receiving meticulous care from the whole society.
Such achievement is made through the cooperation between Macao SAR government and professional non-governmental institutions and the efforts of voluntary workers with various backgrounds and at different ages.
Luo is a 102-year-old Macao citizen who now lives with his 10th child, and his living expenses are shared by all of his 11 children who always visit him in order to spend more time with him. Luo needs auxiliary appliances for movement, but he’s lucid and eats well. His sound health condition even allows him to play mahjong with his children.
Macao SAR government started offering“Subsidy for Senior Citizens” since 2005,as a way to show its solicitude for the elderly. This October, about 90,000 eligible and verified seniors were granted a total of 806 millionpatacas (about $100.19 million), with each of them receiving 9,000 patacas.
In addition, Macao has also established a series of favorable schemes and systemsfor the benefit of the elderly, including the Healthcare Subsidy Scheme, affordable housing policy, the Provident Fund Scheme for workers in public services, and the Central Savings System, thus effectively ensuring stable source of pension funds and sufficient support for infrastructure for old-age care.
In recent years, Macao SAR government has actively promoted the construction of barrier-free facilities, according to Alexis Tam Chon Weng, secretary for Social Affairs and Culture of the Macao SAR government.
This year, free cataract surgery and movable denture installation were offered for senior citizens at certain ages, and more such services benefiting the lives and health of the elderly would be rolled out, Tam introduced.
Macao SAR government has always attached great importance toits senior citizens’ demand for continuing education.By launchinggovernment schemes including the Continuing Education Development Plan, a learning subsidy for senior citizens and the disabled,as well assenior academies and social service agencies for the elderly,the SAR government has createdabundant opportunities for the seniors to pursue further education.
Cooperating with non-governmental institutions, the Macao SAR government has kept carrying out diversified services and creating increasing opportunities to have senior citizens continue participating in social affairs in their favored manners, noted Tam.
The ultimate goal is to help the seniors enjoy home-based elderly care, actively take part in social affairs, and have wonderful lives, Tam said.
Macao is currently in an aging population. As shown by relevant data, the average life expectancy of Macao citizens has reached 83.7 years so far, and senior citizens aged 65 or above account for 10.5 percent of the total population of the SAR.It is expected that by 2036, this proportion will hit 20.7 percent, making the region a “super aged society”.
In an effort to tackle the challenges brought by its ageing population, the Macao SAR government started implementing theTen-year Action Plan for Elderly Services (2016-2025) in 2016, to enrich the lives and improve the life quality of seniors through short-term, medium, and long-term policies and services.
Relevant laws have also been introduced by the region to guarantee the protection of interests and rights of senior citizens. In 2009, Macao SAR kicked off the legislation of the Legal System for Protection of Rights of the Elderly,in an attempt to formulate the general framework for the protection of the rights of seniors, integrate existing laws and regulations, and define relevant policies. The bill was adopted by the Legislative Assembly of Macao SAR last year.
The Legal System for Protection of Rights of the Elderly is considered the “basic law” for the protection of the seniors’ interests and rights, as it integrates all relevant regulations and legal systems concerning interests and rights of the elderly and covers such aspects of lives of the elderly as health, housing, occupation and job, as well as transportation.
It has served as a solid institutional guarantee for the construction of a harmonious society where senior citizens are well taken care of, feel a sense of belonging, and a sense of achievement from doing what they like to contribute to the society.
On the other hand, the process of making the law is also one that popularizesthe law, during which the SAR managed to realize better protection of the interests and rights of its senior citizens while making the merit of respect and love for the elderly deeply rooted in the hearts of Macao residents.
澳门爱老敬老护老蔚然成风
人民日报记者毛磊
回归祖国20年来，澳门特区政府通过与专业民间机构合作，加上来自不同背景和年龄层的义工队伍倾力付出，使澳门长者得到无微不至的关怀照顾，营造了爱老、敬老、护老的社会氛围。
102岁的罗伯伯育有11个子女，现安居在十儿子家中，兄弟姐妹除共同分担父亲的一些生活开支，也经常来往探望和陪伴。罗伯伯行走需借助辅助器材，但头脑清晰，饮食正常，身体颇佳，时常还与子女一起搓麻将。
为体现对长者的关怀，澳门特区政府每年都要向老人发放敬老金。今年10月就向约9万位符合资格且完成审查的长者每人发放敬老金9000澳门元，总发放金额约8.06亿澳门元。此外，澳门还建立了医疗券计划、经济房屋政策、公务人员公积金制度、中央储蓄制度等，有效保障养老资金来源和养老基础设施需求。
澳门特别行政区社会文化司司长谭俊荣说，近年特区政府积极推动无障碍出行的环境建设，今年又针对特定年龄的长者新推出免费白内障手术、活动假牙安装等服务，将来还会继续推出更多有利于长者生活与健康的服务。
一直以来，澳门特区政府十分重视长者对持续学习的需求，并通过“持续进修发展计划”和“支持长者及残疾人士学习资助计划”、长者书院、长者社会服务机构等，为有意参与持续学习的长者提供进修的机会。
谭俊荣介绍，特区政府通过与民间机构携手合作，持续开展多元化服务，创造更多机会，务求让长者能够按照个人喜爱的方式继续参与社会，达到“家庭照顾，原居安老；积极参与，跃动耆年”的目标。
澳门社会已迈入人口老龄化的阶段。资料显示，目前澳门的人均预期寿命已达83.7岁，长者（65岁及以上）人口占比为10.5%，预计到2036年，这一比例将高达20.7%，澳门将成为超老龄化社会。
为应对人口老龄化带来的挑战，澳门特区政府从2016年开始推行“2016至2025年长者服务十年行动计划”，通过短、中、长期的政策规划和服务发展，充实长者的老年生活，提升长者生活质量。
长者权益离不开法律保驾护航。澳门特区于2009年启动《长者权益保障法律制度》的立法工作，制定长者权益保障的总体框架，整合现有法例、明确相关政策。2018年，澳门特区立法会通过《长者权益保障法律制度》法案。
“长者法”规定保障老人的健康、居住需要、职业和工作、通达便利等，整合了所有涉及老人权益的制度，堪称老人权益保障制度的“基本法”，为构建“‘老有所属、老有所为、老有所养’的共融社会”提供了坚实的制度保障。而立法的过程，也是普法的过程，让长者权益得到更好保护的同时，也让爱老敬老护老的美德更加深入人心。
