How Are They Different from Foreign Domestic Helpers?
Hong Kong's ageing population is becoming an increasing concern, and more families need help caring for elderly family members at home. The 2026 Policy Address proposed that the Government will refer to the existing foreign domestic helper importation system and introduce a pilot scheme in 2027 to bring in skilled foreign domestic carers with higher levels of elderly care training and experience.
So, how will skilled foreign domestic carers be different from the foreign domestic helpers commonly employed in Hong Kong? Will their salary be higher? If a family already has a foreign domestic helper, will it be possible to switch to a skilled foreign domestic carer in the future?
Here is a summary of the information currently available.
What Are Skilled Foreign Domestic Carers?
In simple terms, these newly introduced skilled foreign domestic carers will mainly provide care for elderly people, but they will also be able to help with general household duties.
Under the initial proposal, the entry requirements for skilled foreign domestic carers will be higher than those for ordinary foreign domestic helpers. Applicants will need to meet the following requirements:
Complete recognized training in their home country at a level at least equivalent to a Health Worker in Hong Kong residential care homes.
Have at least three years of practical experience in elderly care.
Their training requirements will be determined and recognized by Hong Kong authorities to ensure that the training meets local standards.
In other words, the new carers will not simply be people who have experience caring for elderly people. The scheme aims to introduce clearer training and experience requirements, giving employers a better indication that the person they hire has a certain level of elderly care skills.
How Are They Different from Existing Foreign Domestic Helpers?
The differences between the new skilled foreign domestic carers and existing foreign domestic helpers can be considered in several aspects.
1. Different Levels of Professional Training:
The entry requirements for foreign domestic helpers are relatively broad, provided that applicants meet the basic requirements for employment. For skilled foreign domestic carers, applicants will need recognized training and at least three years of elderly care experience. In theory, they should therefore have stronger knowledge and skills in elderly care. For example, they may have more relevant training in helping elderly people with daily activities, basic health monitoring, and caring for elderly people who are frail or have chronic health conditions.
2. A More Clearly Defined Service Role
Foreign domestic helpers generally have a wide range of duties. They may take care of children, look after elderly family members, do housework, cook and carry out other household tasks. The main focus of skilled foreign domestic carers, however, will be elderly care. Household duties will be more of a supporting role, giving the new occupation a clearer service focus.
3. Higher Salary Costs
The salary for the new type of carer is expected to be around 10% to 20% higher than that of a foreign domestic helper. For employers, this means an additional household expense in the long term. Whether the extra cost is worthwhile will depend on the actual care needs of the elderly person in the family.
A Key Question: Does Paying More Always Mean Better Care?
This may be one of the biggest concerns for families.
Having elderly care training and three years of experience can give employers another useful reference when choosing a carer. However, certificates and years of work experience cannot always fully reflect how well someone will care for a particular elderly person. Factors such as language, food preferences, cooking habits, lifestyle and the family's expectations about the carer's duties can all affect the day-to-day working relationship. Some families may genuinely need someone with stronger elderly care skills. Other families may mainly need help with general household duties, with some additional support for an elderly family member. Therefore, once the skilled foreign domestic carer scheme is introduced, families may need to first consider their actual needs before deciding whether a regular foreign domestic helper or a carer with specific elderly care training is more suitable.
What About Domestic Helper Insurance?
The current proposal for skilled foreign domestic carers mainly focuses on the importation scheme, training, experience and salary arrangements. It has not yet provided specific details about domestic helper insurance. However, if skilled foreign domestic carers are eventually employed under an arrangement similar to the existing foreign domestic helper employment system, employers should also pay attention to their employment and insurance responsibilities. The exact requirements will depend on the detailed rules announced by the Government in the future.
Conclusion
The introduction of skilled foreign domestic carers could provide another option for families that need elderly care at home. With specific elderly care training and work experience, these carers are expected to have skills that are more focused on caring for older people.
However, paying 10% to 20% more does not mean that all care responsibilities can simply be passed to the carer. Before hiring, employers should still consider factors such as language and cultural differences, help the carer adjust to the family's lifestyle, and arrange suitable domestic helper insurance in advance.
More details about the new scheme are expected to be announced by the Government. Employers should keep an eye on the latest updates before making any decisions about hiring a skilled foreign domestic carer.
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The information provided in this article is for general reference only and should not be considered as any form of advice. Our company assumes no responsibility for its use
