Scores of Hong Kong children with severe intellectual disabilities face spending the rest of their lives in hospital when they could be living much more freely and happily in care homes, a parents' group said on Thursday.

The Association of Parents of the Severely Mentally Handicapped noted that the only government-subsidised place for people over 16 with intellectual disabilities who require tube feeding is Siu Lam Hospital, and children whose care is arranged by special needs schools often move there when they complete their studies.

At a press conference, the association said that although the Social Welfare Department deems such people as having a very high need for nursing care, many would fare much better in a care home where they could have more interaction with others.

“A lot of the cases are healthy, sociable and interactive. I think the parents and children deserve a choice... a choice for their living in the future because we are talking about 10, 20 or 30 years of their life,” said the group's chairwoman Renee Lai.

Lai said there are currently about 170 children facing a move to the hospital, but only those with critical health situations really need to go there.

The father of a 16-year-old boy told reporters that he fears his son will be isolated from society if he moves to the hospital.

“He can use eye contact, voice, facial expressions or even physical movements to express his needs and desires,” the man said.

FTU lawmaker Bill Tang backed the association's call for more choices of subsidised care.

“The service is not only on safety, but also on an individual's well-being development, such as social network, recreational development, and the relationship between the [child] and the parents,” Tang said, adding that paying for care homes would be more cost-effective than providing hospital care.