The number of people with dementia in Hong Kong continues to increase. A survey by a charitable organization found that less than 20% of people who have lost their decision-making ability have made a will, an enduring power of attorney or an advance medical directive, which are the “Three Treasures of Safety”. The agency pointed out that more than 80% of the respondents agreed to set up a “Safety Three Treasures” repository to allow authorized persons, family members, lawyers or medical staff to access relevant documents when necessary, and believed that the Hong Kong government was the most suitable regulatory agency.
The survey was conducted in 2020 by the charity “Mental Health Information Hub” to understand the public’s awareness, acceptance and application of 3 important medical and legal documents. The survey received a total of 646 responses. In 2021, the organization conducted a survey on the “Ping An Three Treasures Storehouse”, interviewing 1,014 Hong Kong residents aged 25 or above to understand how the public keeps their “Ping An Three Treasures” and whether the relevant processing methods are safe.
Family lawyers and medical care can consult when needed
The results show that nearly 30% of the respondents who have signed the “Safety Three Treasures” have not informed their family members or heirs of the storage location of the documents, and 30 to 40% of the respondents are worried regarding the safety of the current storage location of the documents. 85% of the respondents agreed to set up a “Safety Three Treasures” repository to allow authorized persons, family members, lawyers or medical staff to access relevant documents when necessary; while 82% believed that the Hong Kong government is the most suitable regulatory agency.
The agency also pointed out that since only the original documents of the “Three Treasures of Safety” in Hong Kong have legal effect, the parties may have the opportunity to hinder the handling of relevant matters due to improper storage of documents. The agency suggested that the Hong Kong government should introduce a well-designed and user-friendly central repository system for the “Three Treasures of Safety” to protect the well-being of citizens. Qian Huangbijun, vice-chairman of the organization, suggested that an advisory committee should be set up with experts from different fields, such as legal, medical, social welfare, and information technology, to discuss the feasibility and timing of setting up the “Safe Three Treasures” document repository surface.
