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Looking ahead to 1996-97, it will conduct a study of the residential care and community support needs of elderly people with a view to formulating new planning ratios for these services; subject to the result of a feasibility study, establish a computerised integrated waiting list for applicants for residential care services; upgrade the services provided by private residential homes through implementation of the Residential Care Homes (Elderly Persons) Ordinance and the training of an additional 600 health workers to help private home operators meet new statutory requirements; and establish four additional geriatric teams to provide outreach medical services to elderly people.
"Implementing the recommendations of the Working Group on Care for the Elderly is not all that we will do in expanding our services for the elderly," Mrs Fok said.
"We are, of course, continuing our programme of meeting the various targets which have been set for increasing the number of places in care and attention homes and homes for the aged, places under the Bought Place Scheme in private residential homes, and facilities such as social centres, multi-service centres and day care centres for the elderly."
Turning to rehabilitation services, Mrs Fok said the most important long term challenge was to find jobs for people with a disability.
As recommended by the Working Party on Training and Employment for People with Disabilities in its report in July, the Government will in 1996-7:
* expand vocational assessment and training services for about 900 sheltered
workers, traffic accident victims and injured workers per year;
* increase the number of supported employment places in sheltered workshops
from the existing 360 to 950, an increase of 164 per cent;
strengthen the Rehabus service by adding eight extra scheduled routes and two additional vehicles for the "dial-a-ride" service, thus increasing the number of passenger trips by 67,000, or 21 per cent, a year; and
continue to encourage, through public education programmes, the integration of those with disabilities fully into the society.