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Wednesday, July 18, 1973
It recommends that every effort should be made to allocate, within
the 10 year housing. programme, a given proportion of accommodation, perhaps
two per cent of the total, to the elderly.
It says that suitable housing units should be designed. for the elderly
in each new and renovated estate and those to be developed in the New Territories.
The elderly should not however be segregated in blocks solely designed for them.
For residential care, the Working Party recommends that more hostels
of the type already provided in the Wah Fu Estate be established with the
long-term aim of providing a hostel of this, kind in every public housing estate
of 25,000 or more residents.
It proposes a moratorium on the establishment of new homes for the
aged for a period of two years until it is possible to assess the effect of
the new emphasis on care in the community on the demand for places in such homes.
Based on the recommendations it is estimated that the additional cost
of providing infirmity allowances for those aged 70 and over will amount initially
to $20 million a year, rising with the increased proportion of elderly in the
population to $27.5 million after five years.
The cost of the phased development of new, enlarged or experimental
services is put at $1.5 million rising to $9.5 million after five years.
The Working Party feels the main responsibility for services to the
elderly should rest with the government, but says this does not necessarily
mean that government itself should provide all the services. The present
position where both government departments and the voluntary agencies have
major roles to play should continue.
/It says .........