XN000022-1973-07-18 — Page 4

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Wednesday, July 18, 1973

It recommends that every effort should be made to allocate, within

the 10 year housing. programme, a given proportion of accommodation, perhaps

two per cent of the total, to the elderly.

It says that suitable housing units should be designed. for the elderly

in each new and renovated estate and those to be developed in the New Territories.

The elderly should not however be segregated in blocks solely designed for them.

For residential care, the Working Party recommends that more hostels

of the type already provided in the Wah Fu Estate be established with the

long-term aim of providing a hostel of this, kind in every public housing estate

of 25,000 or more residents.

It proposes a moratorium on the establishment of new homes for the

aged for a period of two years until it is possible to assess the effect of

the new emphasis on care in the community on the demand for places in such homes.

Based on the recommendations it is estimated that the additional cost

of providing infirmity allowances for those aged 70 and over will amount initially

to $20 million a year, rising with the increased proportion of elderly in the

population to $27.5 million after five years.

The cost of the phased development of new, enlarged or experimental

services is put at $1.5 million rising to $9.5 million after five years.

The Working Party feels the main responsibility for services to the

elderly should rest with the government, but says this does not necessarily

mean that government itself should provide all the services. The present

position where both government departments and the voluntary agencies have

major roles to play should continue.

/It says .........