XN000022-1984-04-05 — Page 8

THURSDAY, APRIL 5, 1984

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MORE EFFORT NEEDED TO PUBLICISE SERVICES FOR ELDERLY

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GREATER EFFORT SHOULD BE MADE TO PUBLICISE THE AVAILABILITY OF SOCIAL SERVICES FOR THE ELDERLY AND TO INTEGRATE THEM MORE COHESIVELY INTO SOCIETY, ACCORDING TO RECOMMENDATIONS MADE BY A CONCERN FOR THE AGED+ WORKING GROUP IN WAN CHAT.

THE GROUP ALSO RECOMMENDED THAT DISTRICT ACTIVITIES TO PROMOTE THE WELLBEING OF THE ELDERLY SHOULD BE BETTER COORDINATED AND EXPANDED AS AN ON-GOING PROCESS WITH MORE ACTIVE DISTRICT BOARD PARTICIPATION.

+

THE WORKING GROUP, FORMED EARLY LAST YEAR UNDER THE WAN CHAI DISTRICT BOARD, BASED ITS RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE FINDINGS OF A SURVEY CONDUCTED RECENTLY.

SPEAKING AT A PRESS BRIEFING TODAY (THURSDAY), THE DISTRICT OFFICER, MR LAM KAM-KWONG, SAID THE FINDINGS WOULD HELP THE BOARD ON ITS FUTURE PLANNING AND PROVISIONS OF ELDERLY SERVICES IN THE DISTRICT.

+THE ELDERLY POPULATION ACCOUNTS FOR MORE THAN 13 PER CENT OF THE DISTRICT'S TOTAL POPULATION, AND THIS IS SIGNIFICANTLY GREATER THAN THE CORRESPONDING OVERALL HONG KONG PERCENTAGE OF 10 AND THE NEW TERRITORIES AVERAGE OF 8.9,+ HE SAID.

A TOTAL OF 332 PEOPLE, AGED 55 AND ABOVE, WERE INTERVIEWED FOR THE SURVEY CONDUCTED BY STUDENTS OF THE SOCIAL STUDIES DEPARTMENT OF SHUE YAN COLLEGE EARLY THIS YEAR.

THE SURVEY FOUND THAT MOST OF THE ELDERLY WERE NOT AWARE OF THE SERVICES PROVIDED BY GOVERNMENT AND VOLUNTARY AGENCIES.

+IN THIS CONNECTION, THE WORKING GROUP HAS LOOKED INTO THE DEGREE OF WILLINGNESS AND READINESS OF THE OLD PEOPLE TO TAKE PART IN COMMUNITY SERVICE, MR LAM SAID.

+HOWEVER, ONLY A VERY SMALL PERCENTAGE (11 PER CENT) SHOWED ANY INTEREST.+

SIXTY-ONE PER CENT OF THE OLD PEOPLE INTERVIEWED WERE LIVING PRIMARILY WITH FINANCIAL SUPPORT FROM THE IR SPOUSES AND CHILDREN, WHILE 20 PER CENT EARNED THEIR LIVING MAINLY THROUGH SALARIES AND

INTEREST FROM SAVINGS.

ON FAMILY RELATIONSHIP. THE MAJORITY OF THE RESPONDENTS SAIL THEY PREFERRED TO LIVE WITH THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS AND WERE QUITE

Τη CONTENTED WITH THE IR PRESENT STATE OF SOCIAL RELATIONSHIP. FEELING OF BEING LONELY AND ISOLATED DID NOT SEEM TO BE ACUTE „IT. MOST OF THEM.

/THE SURVEY