NEW INITIATIVES
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 8, 1993
AS ANNOUNCED BY THE GOVERNOR IN HIS ANNUAL ADDRESS TO THIS COUNCIL ON 6 OCTOBER 1993, AN ADDITIONAL 800 CARE-AND-ATTENTION PLACES WILL BE PROVIDED DURING THE NEXT TWO YEARS IN ADDITION TO THE 5,000 CARE-AND-ATTENTION HOME AND HOME FOR THE AGED PLACES PLEDGED IN HIS 1992 ANNUAL ADDRESS. THE TARGET SET IN THE 1991 WHITE PAPER "SOCIAL WELFARE INTO THE 1990'S AND BEYOND" WILL BE FULLY MET BY 1997.
FOR ELDERLY PEOPLE WHO NEED RESIDENTIAL MEDICAL AND NURSING CARE, BUT NOT NECESSARILY IN A HOSPITAL, INFIRMARY SERVICES ARE PROVIDED. A TOTAL OF 1,400 INFIRMARY PLACES ARE CURRENTLY PROVIDED BY THE HOSPITAL AUTHORITY. OUR PRESENT PLANS ARE TO PROVIDE AN ADDITIONAL 1,200 PLACES BY 1997. WE HAVE, HOWEVER, 5,400 PEOPLE ALREADY ON THE WAITING LIST. TO BETTER MEET DEMAND, THE GOVERNOR HAS ANNOUNCED THAT A NETWORK OF ELDERLY NURSING HOMES WITH MEDICAL AND NURSING FACILITIES WILL BE DEVELOPED. THESE NURSING HOMES WILL CARE FOR ELDERLY PEOPLE WHO WOULD OTHERWISE HAVE TO REMAIN IN HOSPITAL OR IN
AN INFIRMARY. WE ARE PLANNING FOR AN INITIAL SEVEN NURSING HOMES TO PROVIDE 1,400 PLACES FOR SUCH ELDERLY CLIENTS. THE HOMES ARE PLANNED ΤΟ BE IN OPERATION BY 1997. THE NEW NURSING HOMES ARE INTENDED TO BRIDGE A GAP BETWEEN INFIRMARIES AND CARE-AND-ATTENTION HOMES. AS THE DEPARTMENT RESPONSIBLE FOR REGISTERING AND SUPERVISING NURSING HOMES UNDER THE LAW, THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH IS BEST PLACED TO OVERSEE THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THESE HOMES. WITH REFERENCE TO DR LEONG'S COMMENT ON HEALTH CARE, HEALTH CENTRE FOR THE ELDERLY, I WISH TO POINT OUT THAT THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH IS ACTIVELY WORKING ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF THIS SERVICE, AND THE FIRST HEALTH CENTRE FOR THE ELDERLY WILL BE OPENED IN 1994.
OUTREACH COMMUNITY SERVICES
IN LINE WITH OUR EFFORTS TO REACH OUT TO THE COMMUNITY, WE HAVE PLANS TO SET UP INITIALLY FOUR COMMUNITY GERIATRIC TEAMS IN 1994 TO PROVIDE OUTREACH MEDICAL SERVICES TO ELDERLY PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY BY PROVIDING MEDICAL, NURSING AND SPECIALIST SUPPORT. THESE TRAMS WILL PROVIDE PRE-ADMISSION ASSESSMENT FOR PEOPLE ON THE WAITING LISTS FOR CARE-AND-ATTENTION HOMES AND INFIRMARIES IN ORDER TO ENSURE THAT THEY ARE PROVIDED WITH THE APPROPRIATE TYPE OF CARE. MEDICAL SUPPORT SERVICES ARE ALSO PROVIDED TO PREVENT DETERIORATION IN THEIR HEALTH CONDITIONS AND TO REDUCE THEIR NEED FOR HOSPITALISATION.
PROPOSED LEGISLATION
WITH INCREASING DEMAND, THERE HAS BEEN A CONSIDERABLE EXPANSION IN RECENT YEARS IN THE NUMBER OF RESIDENTIAL HOMES FOR ELDERLY PEOPLE. WHILE PRIVATE HOMES ALSO MAKE A SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTION TO CARING FOR THE ELDERLY, THEIR QUALITY OF SERVICE IS NOT ALWAYS SATISFACTORY. THERE IS A NEED TO CONTROL THE STANDARDS OF RESIDENTIAL CARE HOMES IN HONG KONG.
/TO PROVIDE