XN000022-1979-10-05 — Page 5

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 5, 1979

DSW OPENS MULTI-SERVICE CENTRE FOR THE AGED

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THE DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE, MR. THOMAS LEE, TODAY (FRIDAY) OFFICIALLY OPENED A MULTI-SERVICE CENTRE FOR THE AGED IN CHAI WAN SPECIALLY DESIGNED TO MEET THE VARYING NEEDS OF OLD PEOPLE.

THE CENTRE, RUN BY THE HONG KONG SOCIETY FOR THE AGED (SAGE), REPRESENTS A RELATIVELY NEW APPROACH IN HONG KONG IN PROVIDING ESSENTIAL SERVICES FOR THE ELDERLY.

OCCUPYING AN AREA OF OVER 372 SQUARE METRES (4 000 SQ. FT.) IN YUE WAN ESTATE, THE CENTRE OFFERS A WIDE RANGE OF SERVICES TO OLD PEOPLE EITHER AT THE IR HOMES OR IN THE CENTRE ITSELF.

SPEAKING AT THE OPENING CEREMONY, MR. LEE SAID THE SETTING UP OF THE CENTRE WAS IN LINE WITH THE OBJECTIVES OUTLINED IN THE LATEST WHITE PAPER ON SOCIAL WELFARE.

MULTI-SERVICE CENTRES, HE SAID, ARE PARTICULARLY HELPFUL AS THEY ENABLE THE ELDERLY TO RECEIVE DIFFERENT SERVICES AT ONE PLACE.

MR. LEE STRESSED THE IMPORTANCE OF SUCH FACILITIES TO SERVE THOSE ELDERLY PEOPLE WHO HAD BEEN LEFT TO FEND FOR THEMSELVES.

HE PRAISED THE SAGE FOR ITS OUTSTANDING WORK IN PROMOTING THE WELL-BEING OF THE ELDERLY. SAGE WAS THE PIONEER IN OPERATING SPECIAL BUS SERVICES FOR THE AGED AND IS RUNNING A SOCIAL CENTRE FOR OLD PEOPLE IN TSUEN WAN.

AT THE SAGE CHAI WAN MULTI-SERVICE CENTRE, SERVICES PROVIDED GENERALLY FALL INTO THREE AREAS.

HOME-HELP SERVICE PROVIDES MEALS, HOUSE CLEANING, ESCORT SERVICE AND PERSONAL CARE. SERVICES AND FACILITIES AVAILABLE AT THE CENTRE INCLUDE CANTEEN, LAUNDRY AND BATHING, INTEREST GROUPS, HAIR-CUTTING AND HEALTH TESTS.

IN ADDITION, STAFF OF THE CENTRE ORGANISE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMME AIMED AT PROMOTING AMONG THE COMMUNITY A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF OLD AGE AND THE NEEDS OF THE ELDERLY.

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