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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 6, 1978
HEALTH CARE OF THE ELDERLY TO BE EXPANDED
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THE MEDICAL DEVELOPMENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE HAS RECOMMENDED THE EARLY EXPANSION OF COMMUNITY NURSING TO INCREASE THE HEALTH CARE OF THE ELDERLY AND THE DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES IS WORKING ON THESE RECOMMENDATIONS, THE SECRETARY FOR SOCIAL SERVICES, MR. E. P. HO, SAID TODAY.
SPEAKING AT THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF THE ST. JAMES SETTLEMENT, MR. HO SAID WITH THE DRAFTING OF THE WHITE PAPER COVERING SERVICES FOR THE ELDERLY STILL INCOMPLETE, IT WAS DIFFICULT FOR HIM TO ANTICIPATE FURTHER GOVERNMENT DECISIONS IN THIS FIELD AT THIS STAGE.
HOWEVER, HE WAS OPTIMISTIC IN ONE AREA THIS IS THE EXPANSION OF COMMUNITY NURSING TO INCREASE THE HEALTH CARE OF THE ELDERLY.
HE SAID THE DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES WAS WORK ING ON RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE MEDICAL DEVELOPMENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE TO TRANSLATE THIS GENERAL DESIRE INTO CONCRETE STEPS FOR THE TRAINING OF NURSES FOR THIS SERVICE, THE DEFINITION OF THE SCOPE OF THEIR OPERATION, THE TERRITORIAL COVERAGE FROM THE VARIOUS REGIONAL HOSPITALS AND CENTRES, AND THE CRITERIA FOR THE SUBVENTION OF SUCH SERVICES WHERE THEY ARE PROVIDED BY THE VOLUNTARY SECTOR.
IF THESE PROPOSALS WERE APPROVED IT WAS HOPED THAT THE COMMUNITY NURSES' TRAINING AND DEPLOYMENT PROGRAMME WOULD BE PHASED OVER NOT MORE THAN ABOUT FIVE YEARS. BY THE END OF THIS PERIOD IT WAS ESTIMATED THAT SOME 350 ADDITIONAL NURSES WOULD HAVE BEEN DEPLOYED AND UP TO ONE THIRD OF THEIR TIME WOULD BE DEVOTED TO GERIATRIC CARE, HE EXPLAINED.
MR. HO SAID ANOTHER AREA OF CONCERN WAS THE PROVISION OF CARE AND ATTENTION HOMES FOR THE ELDERLY WHO NEEDED RESIDENTIAL FACILITIES WITH GENERAL PURPOSE CARE. THE 1978 SOCIAL WELFARE REVIEW HAD INDICATED THAT THE CURRENT SHORTFALL IN PROVISION WAS OVER 1,000 PLACES OR NEARLY TWO THIRDS OF DEMAND.
+CONS IDER ING THAT THE CASES REPRESENTED AS THE DEMAND HERE ARE LEAST ABLE TO FEND FOR THEMSELVES, THIS IS A SERIOUS MATTER, HE SAID.
HITHERTO THIS SERVICE HAD BEEN WHOLLY PROVIDED BY THE VOLUNTARY SECTOR, AND WE ARE MOST ANXIOUS TO SPEED UP THE PROCESS OF MEETING THIS SHORTFALL WHICH IS ESTIMATED TO BE STILL AT OVER 500 PLACES BY MARCH, 1981.+
MR. HO SAID HE WOULD WELCOME SUGGESTIONS AS TO HOW ACTION COULD BE SPEEDED UP.
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