THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 198Z
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ACCOMMODATION, MR ALLEYNE SAID, WOULD BE FOR GROUPS OF FOUR OR FIVE AND EVERY ATTEMPT WOULD BE MADE, IN THE DESIGN AND FITTING OUT OF THE FLATS, TO ALLOW FOR PERSONAL PRIVACY TO MINIMISE THE POSSIBILITY OF CONFLICT BETWEEN RESIDENTS.
HE SAID A NUMBER OF SUITABLE FLATS IN TSUEN WAN AND SHA TIN HAD BEEN LOCATED AND THE GOVERNMENT WAS LOOKING FOR OTHERS IN THE OLDER BUILT-UP URBAN AREAS.
THE IMPORTANCE OF HAVING APPROPRIATE COMMUNITY SUPPORT SERVICES IN THE LOCATIONS WAS ALSO CONSIDERED.
MULTI-SERVICE CENTRES FOR THE ELDERLY ARE PLANNED TO SERVE ALL MAJOR POPULATION AREAS OF 250 000 PEOPLE. SEVEN SUCH CENTRES ARE ALREADY SERVING WAN CHAI, CHAI WAN, SHAM SHUI PO, TSUEN WAN, KOWLOON CITY, MONG KOK AND YUEN LONG. THREE MORE ARE SCHEDULED TO OPEN IN 1983/84 IN TUEN MUN, SHA TIN AND TAI PO.
IN ADDITION, SOCIAL CENTRES FOR THE ELDERLY ARE PLANNED FOR A LOCAL POPULATION OF 30 000 AND 86 SUCH CENTRES ARE IN OPERATION AND A FURTHER 61 ARE PLANNED OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.
MR ALLEYNE SAID: +PARTICULAR EMPHASIS IS ALSO BEING GIVEN TO THE EXPANSION OF HOME HELP SERVICES WHICH PLAY SUCH A VITAL ROLE IN ENABLING THE ELDERLY TO REMAIN IN THE COMMUNITY.
HE SAID MUCH EMPHASIS WAS PLACED ON PROVIDING A RANGE OF RESIDENTIAL CARE FOR THE ELDERLY WHICH WOULD ENABLE THEM TO REMAIN IN CONTACT WITH THE COMMUNITY AND NOT BECOME ISOLATED IN INSTITUTIONS IF THIS COULD BE AVOIDED.
MR ALLEYNE SAID THE GOVERNMENT'S PLANS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT
OF RESIDENTIAL CARE EMPHASISE THE NEED FOR FLEXIBILITY.+
FOR EXAMPLE, WHILE HOSTELS FOR THE ELDERLY CATER FOR THOSE WHO ARE LARGELY ABLE TO TAKE CARE OF THEMSELVES, THEY INCLUDE A SECTION WHICH PROVIDES MEALS AND ASSISTANCE WITH HOUSEKEEPING AND LAUNDRY.
SIMILARLY, WHEREVER POSSIBLE, OLD PEOPLE'S HOMES ARE PLANNED IN CONJUNCTION WITH CARE-AND-ATTENTION HOMES OR INCLUDE A SMALL CARE-AND-ATTENTION UNIT TO PROVIDE FOR THOSE RESIDENTS WHOSE CONDITION DETERIORATES, BUT WHERE IT IS DESIRABLE TO AVOID THE ANGUISH OF A TRANSFER TO ANOTHER HOME.
MR ALLEYNE SAID A RECENT UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG RESEARCH PROJECT CONFIRMED HIS BELIEF THAT ALTERNATIVE MEANS OF MEETING THE NEEDS OF THE INFIRM ELDERLY AND BUILDING MORE CARE-AND- ATTENTION HOMES SHOULD BE EXPLORED.
SPECIFICALLY, THE SUGGESTION IS THAT IF DAY CARE FOR THE ELDERLY WERE MORE WIDELY AVAILABLE, THE DEMAND FOR RESIDENTIAL CARE-AND-ATTENTION HOMES WOULD BE REDUCED FROM A POSSIBLE 8.8 PLACES PER 1 000 ELDERLY POPULATION TO FIVE PLACES PER 1 000, OR NOT GREATLY IN EXCESS OF THE PRESENT PLANNING TARGET OF FOUR PLACES PER 1 000.
/TO PROVIDE