ABSTRACT
The frail elderly has become a subject of increased policy and research attention in recent years, motivated in part by the emergent concern that population ageing will lead to unsustainable increases in health care costs. This chapter examines aspects of health among older adults in Hong Kong and other parts of Asia, drawing attention to the changed social circumstances of older persons in these economies. It also provides a review of empirical evidence on frailty and the prevalence of functional disability at older ages and discusses how governments and societies have responded to the public health challenge.
