Impacts of SARS on elder age

Since November 2002, a new and very contagious respiratory disease, known as the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) has broken out in various countries. In the epidemic, residents living in aged care homes were the worst hit among all victims in Hong Kong. This article highlights the various challenges facing operators of aged care homes, such as the lack of coordination between the hospitals and the aged care homes, the great demand on human and financial resources, the pressures the facilities were under and the discrimination from the mass media and the general public. Recommendations are also made to enhance infection control and risk management system of the facilities, so that they would be better prepared to face other epidemics in the future. © 2004, Institute of Aging Studies.