XN000022-1985-04-01 — Page 11

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MONDAY, APRIL 1, 1985

AMONG OTHER THINGS, THE STUDY CALLED FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A SOCIAL CENTRE FOR THE ELDERLY IN TSZ LOK ESTATE.

THE SPOKESMAN SAID THAT BOTH THE EXISTING SOCIAL CENTRE IN TSZ ON ESTATE AND THE PLANNED PROJECT IN TSZ OI ESTATE WOULD SERVE ELDERLY RESIDENTS IN THE WHOLE TSZ WAN SHAN AREA, INCLUDING THOSE LIVING IN TSZ LOK ESTATE.

+MOREOVER,+ HE SAID.

+ HE SAID, +OUR TWO ESTATE COMMUNITY CENTRES IN TSZ WAN SHAN AS WELL AS THE TSZ WAN SHAN KAI FONG ASSOCIATION ARE RUNNING SOCIAL CLUBS FOR ELDERLY PEOPLE IN THE DISTRICT. THEY HAVE MEMBERS FROM TSZ LOK ESTATE.+

COMMENTING ON THE FINDING THAT 70 PER CENT OF THE ELIGIBLE ELDERLY PEOPLE IN TSZ LOK ESTATE DID NOT HAVE SUFFICIENT KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE OLD AGE ALLOWANCE SCHEME, THE SPOKESMAN SAID THIS STATEMENT WAS MISLEADING BECAUSE IT ACTUALLY REFERRED TO 11 ELDERLY PEOPLE WHO HAD BEEN INTERVIEWED.

+OUR RECORD SHOWS THAT MORE THAN 1 000 PEOPLE FROM TSZ LOK ESTATE ARE RECEIVING OLD AGE ALLOWANCE, HE SAID.

+OUR DISTRICT STAFF ALWAYS TAKE THE INITIATIVE TO INTRODUCE WELFARE SERVICES TO RESIDENTS,+ HE WENT ON. THIS IS DONE EITHER THROUGH FORMAL AREA COMMITTEE MEETINGS OR AT INFORMAL CONTACTS WITH RESIDENTS.+

THE SPOKESMAN SAID THAT IN PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATES, IT WAS COMMON FOR PEOPLE RECEIVING WELFARE BENEFITS OF ONE KIND OR ANOTHER TO TELL THEIR FRIENDS AND NEIGHBOURS ABOUT THESE BENEFITS,

+ITS SEEMS VERY UNLIKELY THAT SUCH A HIGH PERCENTAGE OF ELDERLY PEOPLE IN TSZ LOK ESTATE DO NOT KNOW ABOUT THE OLD AGE ALLOWANCE SCHEME, HE ADDED.

THE DEPARTMENT'S DISTRICT STAFF IN WONG TAI SIN HAVE GOT

IN TOUCH IN WITH THE AGENCY THAT CONDUCTED THE STUDY

TO OBTAIN THE NAMES OF THOSE ELDERLY PEOPLE WHO WERE THOUGHT TO

RE IN NEED OF SERVICES BUT DID NOT SEEK HELP BECAUSE IT WAS

ALLEGED THEY DID NOT KNOW ABOUT SUCH SERVICES,

+WE WILL FOLLOW UP THESE CASES TO ENSURE THAT APPROPRIATE ASSISTANCE IS PROVIDED TO THEM, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

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