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Social Welfare
Community Care and Support Services
At year-end, the SWD was supporting 126 service teams (including integrated home care services teams, enhanced home and community care services teams, support teams for the elderly and a home help team) and 67 day care centres or units for the elderly to provide support services for those living at home. The SWD's Pilot Scheme on Home Care Services for Frail Elders supports elderly persons and their carers and the SWD also supports 210 elderly centres (including District Elderly Community Centres, Neighbourhood Elderly Centres and Social Centres for the Elderly) and a holiday centre for the elderly. The SWD's Improvement Programme of Elderly Centres was established in 2012 to enhance the physical setting and facilities of 237 elderly centres across the territory within six years. By year-end, about $200 million had been approved to upgrade 64 elderly centres.
Residential Care Services
At year-end, there were 25,896 subsidised residential care places in Hong Kong, including 220 self-care hostel places and home-for-the-aged places, 22,532 care-and-attention places (of which 7,618 were purchased from private residential care homes for the elderly (RCHEs)), and 3,144 nursing home places (of which 161 were purchased from self-financing nursing homes).
RCHES are licensed under the Residential Care Homes (Elderly Persons) Ordinance. The SWD monitors the service provided and seeks to help improve RCHES through the issue of practice guides and provision of staff training, ensuring that elderly residents will receive proper care. To improve drug management in residential homes and enhance the quality of elderly care, the government launched a pilot scheme in June 2010 to provide RCHES with visiting pharmacist services. Altogether 79 RCHEs have benefited from the scheme.
Rehabilitation Services
To help persons with disabilities integrate into society and fully develop their capabilities, government departments and NGOs provide a variety of rehabilitation services to meet their different needs. These services are co-ordinated by the Commissioner for Rehabilitation on the advice of the Rehabilitation Advisory Committee.
Services for Children with Disabilities
At year-end, there were 1,860 integrated programme places in kindergarten-cum-childcare centres, 1,757 places in special childcare centres (including 110 residential places), and 2,628 places in early education and training centres for children with disabilities. In addition, 64 places in small group homes were provided for mildly mentally handicapped children who could not be adequately cared for by their families.
Services for Adults with Disabilities
To develop their potential, 1,633 supported employment places were made available for persons with disabilities to work in open settings with support and assistance, 432 places were created under the 'On the Job Training Programme for People with Disabilities' and 311 places were made available for young persons with disabilities or early signs of mental illness under the 'Sunnyway - On the Job Training Programme for Young People with Disabilities. There were 5,051 places provided in sheltered workshops for those not yet ready to compete for open
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