Towards Empowerment and Advocacy: Practice and Policy in Social Services for Older People in Hong Kong

Abstract

This paper deals with the meaning of and the necessity for empowerment of older people. Factors leading to disempowering situations will be discussed and the practice of empowerment in services for older people will be examined. Policy advocacy and other proposals, including mobilizing older people for policy changes, raising older people's awareness of elderly rights, training in understanding the policy process and skills in advocacy, promoting political participation, organizing senior citizen coalitions and advocating for the legislation of rights of older people, are suggested in this paper.