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Wednesday, November 28, 1984
MR CHAMBERS SAID A SIMILAR DEVELOPMENT WAS THE SHELTERED HOUSING SCHEMES OPERATED BY THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT, CONSISTING OF PRIVATE FLATS BOUGHT WITH MONEY RAISED BY THE SALE OF CHINESE NEW YEAR GOLD COINS. THE FIRST SCHEME, OPENED IN SHA TIN OVER A YEAR AGO, CONSISTED OF 80 FLATS HOUSING
ABOUT 430 PEOPLE. A SECOND SCHEME OF 23 FLATS FOR 115 PEOPLE HAD BEEN RECENTLY OPENED IN WAN CHAI.
+WE ARE NOW LOOKING FOR MORE FLATS TO BUY, PREFERABLY IN KOWLOON, MR CHAMBERS SAID,
REFERRING TO HOSTELS FOR THE ELDERLY IN PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATES, MR CHAMBERS SAID THERE WERE AT PRESENT OVER 1 300 HOSTEL PLACES.
THESE HOSTELS WERE OPERATED BY WELFARE AGENCIES WITH GOVERNMENT SUBVENTIONS. THEY HAD A SMALL STAFF AND SOME FAIRLY MINIMAL WELFARE SERVICES WERE PROVIDED.
TURNING TO THE MORE TRADITIONAL HOMES FOR THE AGED,
MR CHAMBERS SAID THAT SUCH HOMES WERE CLASSIFIED WITH A NUMBER OF HOSTELS IN PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATES THAT PROVIDED MEALS.
ALTOGETHER THERE ARE JUST OVER 4 000 PLACES IN THIS CATEGORY ABOUT 1 400 IN HOSTELS IN HOUSING ESTATES AND THE REST IN PURPOSE-BUILT HOMES.
+ANOTHER 269 PLACES ARE PLANNED FOR THE PRESENT FINANCIAL YEAR, + MR CHAMBERS SAID,
REFERRING TO CARE-AND-ATTENTION HOMES WHICH PROVIDED GENERAL PERSONAL CARE AND A LIMITED AMOUNT OF NURSING CARE, MR CHAMBERS SAID THAT AT PRESENT THERE WERE EIGHT HOMES OF THIS TYPE PROVIDING 880 PLACES.
+THERE IS A LARGE SHORTFALL IN THIS CATEGORY AT PRESENT,+ HE SAID, +BUT QUITE A NUMBER OF PROJECTS ARE IN THE BUILDING OR PLANNING STAGE AND WE HOPE THAT THE POSITION WILL IMPROVE GREATLY OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS.+
SPEAKING OF INFIRMARIES, MR CHAMBERS SAID THIS TYPE OF INSTITUTIONS WAS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE MEDICAL AND HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND WAS INTENDED TO CATER FOR THE BED-RIDDEN AND THOSE WHO NEEDED REGULAR NURSING AND MEDICAL CARE.
ON THE QUESTION OF PRIVATE HOMES FOR THE ELDERLY. MR CHAMBERS NOTED THAT THERE HAD BEEN CALLS FOR GOVERNMENT ACTION TO REGULATE SUCH HOMES.
HOWEVER, HE SAID THE GOVERNMENT WOULD PREFER NOT TO HAVE TO SET UP AN ELABORATE AND EXPENSIVE CONTROL SYSTEM UNLESS THIS IS REALLY NECESSARY+.
/THE SOCIAL