THURSDAY, JANUARY 22, 1981
RAPID EXPANSION OF SERVICES FOR THE ELDERLY
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SAID THE
THE DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE, MR SELWYN ALLEYNE, YEAR 1981 WOULD USHER IN A DECADE OF RAPID EXPANSION OF SERVICES FOR THE ELDERLY.
SPEAKING TODAY AT THE OPENING CEREMONY OF THE TUNG WAH HO TUNG HOSTEL FOR THE ELDERLY IN FU SHAN ESTATE, HE SAID AN ESTIMATED 37 NEW HOSTELS WOULD BE PROVIDED IN PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATES BETWEEN NOW AND 1989.
HE SAID THIS WOULD CREATE AN EXTRA 5 500 PLACES, HALF OF WHICH WOULD PROVIDE A SIMILAR SERVICE AS THAT IN OLD PEOPLE'S HOMES, WITH CENTRALISED MEALS SERVICE AND ASSISTANCE IN HOUSEHOLD CHORES.
THE REMAINING HALF, HE SAID, WILL BE FOR THOSE WHO CAN SHOP AND COOK FOR THEMSELVES BUT WHO WILL BENEFIT FROM SUPERVISED ACCOMMODATION WITH STAFF AVAILABLE ROUND THE CLOCK IN CASE OF NEED.
IN ADDITION, IF PRESENT SCHEDULES CAN BE MET, ABOUT A DOZEN PURPOSE-BUILT OLD PEOPLE'S INSTITUTIONS WILL BE COMPLETED IN THE NEXT TWO YEARS WITH ABOUT 2 000 PLACES, THREE QUARTERS OF WHICH WILL PROVIDE CARE AND ATTENTION FACILITIES, HE SAID.
MR ALLEYNE SAID WHILE THE GOVERNMENT BELIEVED THE MAIN THRUST OF SERVICES FOR THE ELDERLY SHOULD BE THROUGH A CARING COMMUNITY, IT RECOGNISED THERE WOULD ALWAYS BE A NEED FOR RESIDENTIAL CARE FOR THOSE NOT FULLY CAPABLE OF LOOKING AFTER THEMSELVES.
HOWEVER HE POINTED OUT THAT A CONSIDERABLE PERIOD OF PLANNING WAS REQUIRED FOR RESIDENTIAL PROJECTS, PARTICULARLY THE CUSTOM-BUILT ONES.
SINCE THE PUBLICATION OF THE SOCIAL WELFARE WHITE PAPER IN 1979, THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN WORKING HARD ON PLANNING AN EXTENSIVE PROGRAMME OF EXPANSION OF OLD PEOPLE'S RESIDENTIAL SERVICES, HE SAID.
THE DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN ASSISTED IN ITS EFFORTS IN TWO PARTICULAR WAYS, ONE OF WHICH IS THE ENTHUSIASM OF VOLUNTARY ORGANISATIONS IN AGREEING TO OPERATE THESE SERVICES,
THE OTHER IS THE COMMITMENT MADE BY THE HOUSING AUTHORITY TO SET ASIDE, IN ALL FUTURE HOUSING ESTATES WITH 3 000 OR MORE FLATS, PREMISES FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF AN OLD PEOPLE'S RESIDENTIAL INSTITUTION, HE ADDED.
MR ALLEYNE PRAISED THE WORK OF THE TUNG WAH GROUP OF HOSPITALS IN THE FIELD OF RESIDENTIAL SERVICES FOR THE AGED.
HE NOTED THAT BY 1982, WITHIN A DECADE SINCE IT OPENED ITS FIRST HOME FOR THE ELDERLY IN 1972, THE TUNG WAH GROUP WOULD HAVE ESTABLISHED ONE HOME, TWO CARE-AND-ATTENTION HOMES AND SIX HOSTELS FOR WELL OVER 1 000 OLD PEOPLE.
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