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Various new initiatives are being taken or existing programmes speeded up to improve the care of elderly persons living alone, for example -
Social Welfare Department will take the lead to introduce measures to mobilise a higher level of community and volunteer support to develop a better social networking system to support the elderly and other vulnerable groups. It will build on the network of multi-service centres for the elderly and the experience already gained in various volunteer pilot programmes already in hand. The ongoing expansion of home help teams will also bring practical benefit to elderly people living alone.
Steps are being taken to identify those single elderly persons and other at-risk recipients of Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) who may not have a telephone to encourage and assist them to apply for one. CSSA grants are available to cover both the installation and recurrent costs of telephones for those in need. The cold weather highlighted how important it is for vulnerable groups to have easy access to telephones to call for help.
Since 1990, the Housing Department has been fitting alarm bells in public housing units occupied by elderly persons living alone. The Department is now considering a system which would link such alarm devices to a central control system.
The review concluded that the immediate measures taken by Government during the cold weather constituted an effective and practical response to an emergency situation. But there are always things that can be done better and lessons have been learnt. It is clear that it cannot be left to Government alone to act in such circumstances. The family and the community as a whole have a vital role to play in showing care and concern at such times by checking on elderly relatives, neighbours and friends. In the final analysis, there are simply not enough professional social workers and others to knock on every door. The Government and non-governmental organisations can and do provide a comprehensive range of professional services but they will always rely, to a certain extent, on caring members of the community to act as referral agents to bring the vulnerable into contact with the professional advice and services which are available to help them.
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