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At the operational level, we are working towards a closer but managed interface between healthcare personnel from different disciplines and sectors. Furthermore, the growing degree of community involvement is most encouraging. For instance, at the Nam Shan Elderly Health Centre, we organise self-help support groups for elderly citizens with similar health concerns to promote the basic ingredients of healthy living. An example is the promotion of exercise and a balanced diet. Through counselling and group activities, participants are informed of the basis of health risks and disease causation as well as equipped with the necessary skills and support to resist social pressure to conform to unhealthy living.
To ensure continuity of care for discharged elderly patients, close collaboration with carers assumes prime importance. For instance, the community-based geriatric assessment teams within the Hospital Authority carry out visits to offer specialist advice and educational programmes for lay carers and care- givers in residential care homes. Another major initiative to foster community participation is the development of volunteer services in HA hospitals through which volunteers acquire an understanding of health as they offer their services to those in need. We will support the Hospital Authority's initiatives in channelling its resources and efforts with other healthcare providers and the community to create an effective network of preventive healthcare programmes, particularly for the elderly.
The organisation of health educational programmes and health checks in social centres for the elderly operated by non-governmental organisations is another vivid demonstration of intersectoral co-operation and community partnership in health. In these programmes, voluntary medical personnel are invited to give health talks and carry out simple health checks for elderly clients. They also train up staff of the social centre so that they can provide the same service to users.
These projects and other healthcare promotional activities initiated by different healthcare sectors have benefited many of our elderly citizens. It is our intention that these activities should continue to flourish to cater for the varying needs of our elderly people.
Need to try out different healthcare models
In developing different models on healthcare for the elderly, we must not fall into the trap of using only one model to all parts of the territory to the exclusion of other health promotion options. The seven elderly health centres which are specifically targeting healthy individuals aged 65 and above serves as an experimental model for identifying a cost-effective operational model. It is a new, publicly funded service providing a venue where preventive and promotive healthcare programmes are conducted for older members of our community.