Social Welfare.
(d)
Government's social services and a number of active voluntary organisations attend to the welfare of the aged, especially those living on their own, by visiting and befriending them, helping them as necessary and organising social functions for them. There is a centrally situated Senior Citizens' Club in premises recently made available by Government and furbished by a voluntary organisation. It is administered by a committee elected by the members and is becoming a very popular recreational centre for the ageing population.
Hong Kong
4. As in many other countries, the elderly population in Hong Kong has increased steadily in recent years. The percentage of old people in Hong Kong aged 60 and over is expected to increase from the present 10 per cent of the total population of 5.2 million to about 12.83 per cent of 5.9 million in ten years' time Not only are more people living longer but the average age of the older generation is expected to rise. The physical, psychological and social problems associated with the ageing process in Hong Kong are very similar to those elsewhere, and entail the requirement for various services including health, housing, cash assistance, community support, institutional care, social and recreational activities, transport and employment opportunities.
5. The concept of ''care in the community'' is fundamental to the planning of services for the elderly in Hong Kong. Whether assistance is provided in the form of cash or through direct service, the objective is to preserve and foster the role of the family, which remains the chief supporter of the elderly. According to the 1981 population census, 85.9 per cent of the elderly population (aged 60 and over) were living with relatives. A variety of social services is therefore provided to enable the elderly to remain in the community for as long as possible. A three-pronged approach is adopted:
6.
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(i) to provide a range of community services (home help, meals service, community nursing, social centres and day care centres, and improved cash benefits) in order that families should be encouraged to look after their elderly members or to enable old people on their own to live independently for as long as possible;
(ii) to provide residential facilities for those who, for health or other reasons, can no longer live with their families or on their own; and
(iii) to promote better understanding of the ageing process so that old age is seen as a positive and produc- tive period, not only for the elderly themselves but also for the community as a whole.
Experience has shown that the provision of adequate housing, either by means of a special quota for the elderly in public housing units or arrangements for compassionate rehousing in public housing estates, enable many elderly people to remain in the community without having to seek care in institutions.
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