XN000022-1973-07-18 — Page 2

Wednesday, July 18, 1973

MAJOR PROPOSALS FOR IMPROVING SERVICES TO THE ELDERLY

Wide ranging proposals for improving services for the elderly in

Hong Kong have been recommended by a working party set up to study their

future needs.

The recommendations cover welfare services, medical and health

services, community facilities, housing and residential care.

The working party was made up of members of government departments

and of the voluntary agencies concerned with services for the elderly.

In making public the report today, Mr. T.8. Heppell,Assistant

Director (General), Social Welfare Department, the Chairman of the Working

Party, said the conclusion of the study was that the right approach to

services for the elderly was "care in the community" rather than institutional

care.

"We feel that services should be aimed primarily at enabling the

elderly to remain for as long as possible as members of the community at

large, either living by themselves or with members of their families," he said.

In welfare services the Working Party recommends that the first stage

should be to get the disability and infirmity allowance off the ground and

if the scheme works well in practice. then the qualifying age should be lowered

to 70. It feels that subsequently the age limit could be further reduced to

65 but advised against doing this too rapidly.

"The Working Party is convinced an assured income for the elderly is

of fundamental importance in encouraging care in the community," Mr. Heppell said.

/Other