XN000022-1985-07-01 — Page 12

MONDAY, JULY 1, 1985

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INTEGRATED SERVICES FOR THE ELDERLY STUDIED

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THE GOVERNMENT WAS EXPLORING THE FEASIBILITY OF PROVIDING INTEGRATED SERVICES FOR THE ELDERLY ON ONE SITE WHICH WOULD BENEFIT BOTH THE PERSON IN CARE AND THE OPERATOR, THE DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE, MRS ANSON CHAN, SAID TODAY (MONDAY).

SPEAKING AT A LUNCHEON MEETING OF THE ASSOCIATION OF CHAIRMEN OF THE TUNG WAH GROUP OF HOSPITALS, SHE SAID THAT IT WAS ENVISAGED THAT THE PROJECT WOULD PROVIDE INTEGRATED CARE-AND-ATTENTION AND INFIRMARY SERVICES FOR FRAIL AND SENILE ELDERLY PEOPLE, TO BE MANAGED JOINTLY BY THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT AND MEDICAL AND HEALTH DEPARTMENT,

AS PART OF THE OVERALL DESIGN, A SMALL PART OF THE SITE WOULD BE GRANTED TO A SUBVENTED AGENCY TO RUN A MIXTURE OF DAY-CARE AND RESIDENTIAL SERVICES FOR MORE ABLE-BODIED OLD PEOPLE.

THE PERCENTAGE OF THE POPULATION IN HONG KONG AGED OVER 60 HAD RISEN FROM 4.8 PER CENT IN 1961 TO 11.1 PER CENT IN 1984, IT IS ESTIMATED THAT BY 1995 THIS WOULD RISE TO ABOUT 13 PER CENT, CR SOME 800 000 PEOPLE.

MRS CHAN SAID THERE WAS A NEED TO RECOGNISE THAT THE CHANGING AGE BALANCE OF THE POPULATION WOULD NECESSITATE SIMILAR CHANGES IN THE MIX OF SOCIAL SERVICES.

AT PRESENT, APART FROM THE PROVISION BY THE HOUSING AUTHORITY OF SHARED FLATS AND SINGLETON HOUSING UNITS, THERE WERE THREE MAIN TYPES OF GROUP ACCOMMODATION FOR THE ELDERLY - HOSTELS, HOMES AND CARE-AND-ATTENTION HOMES, MRS CHAN SAID.

IN ADDITION, THERE WERE TWO GOLD COIN SHELTERED HOUSING PROJECTS CATERING FOR OLD PEOPLE CAPABLE OF SELF-CARE. THESE ARE AT SHA TIN CITY ONE AND SPRING GARDEN LANE IN WAN CHAI,

IN ALL, THERE WERE 55 RESIDENTIAL ESTABLISHMENTS PROVIDING ABOUT 5 800 PLACES.

+ IDEALLY WE SHOULD BE MOVING TOWARDS A SITUATION WHERE SERVICES ARE GROUPED TOGETHER SO THAT THERE IS NO NEED TO PUT ELDERLY RESIDENTS THROUGH THE POSSIBLE TRAUMA OF BEING MOVED FROM ONE DISTRICT TO ANOTHER SHOULD THE IR CONDITION WORSEN.

+THUS IN ONE ESTATE THERE WOULD BE A HOUSING DEPARTMENT HOSTEL FOR THE ELDERLY WHO CAN LOOK AFTER THEMSELVES, AND A HOME FOR THE AGED WITH CARE-AND-ATTENTION PLACES TO BE RUN EITHER BY GOVERNMENT OR BY A SUBVENTED VELFARE AGENCY, MRS CHAN SAID.

THE SOCIAL