SOCIAL WELFARE
breakdowns and social problems. To commemorate the 10th Anniversary of the Inter- national Year of the Child, ‘Responsible Parenthood and Child Care' was chosen as the theme for the 1989 Family Life Education Publicity Campaign. A wide variety of publicity media, including TV, radio, posters, booklets on good parenting and programmes such as seminars, exhibitions and carnivals, were organised throughout the second half of the year. In response to the central publicity campaign, promotional and educational activities have been organised by social workers at the district level. The central resource centre which provides the necessary audio-visual equipment and resource material in support of the service has been moved to the Southorn Centre in Wan Chai, with much improved facilities and easier accessibility to the users.
A study of the home help service was conducted to collect data on the demand for the service, which will form the basis of future expansion plans.
Medical Social Service
To assist patients and their families to deal with personal and family problems arising through illness, a medical social service is provided by social workers stationed in 103 medical social service units in government hospitals and clinics. With the implementation of the Mental Health (Amendment) Ordinance 1988, additional posts have been created to strengthen psychiatric medical social service units to take up the additional duties arising from the provisions in the ordinance.
Care of the Elderly
The 1979 White Paper laid down 'Care in the Community and by the Community' as the guiding principle for the planning and development of services for the elderly. A wide range of community support services is provided to help families to look after their family members or to enable old people to live on their own in the community for as long as possible. Such community services include home help, canteen services, community education, day care, social and recreational activities. At the end of 1989, there were 52.5 home help teams, 106 social centres, 15 multi-service centres and seven day care centres. Thirty seven respite care places for the elderly were also available in homes for the elderly. Housing assistance, including compassionate rehousing and priority allocation of public housing, continues to be available for those eligible.
Additional residential facilities were provided for those who, for health or other reasons, are unable to look after themselves and who have no relatives or friends to assist them. At the end of the year, there were 5969 places in hostels/homes (including 1 480 non- subvented and non-profit-making places) and 1980 places in care-and-attention homes. In addition, the government provided sheltered housing for 2 339 elderly people who are capable of living independently in private housing flats as well as in public housing estates. In order to encourage and assist private homes for the elderly to reach the standards required for registration under the Voluntary Registration Scheme, the Registration Office of Private Homes for the Elderly continued to give advice and assistance to these homes, including offering to buy places from them under the experimental Bought Place Scheme.
Services for Young People
Helping young people to become mature and responsible members of society is the main objective of this programme. A wide range of services has been designed for young people from six to 25 to foster the development of their personality, character, social aptitude,
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