XN000022-1986-12-04 — Page 11

10

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 1986

+THIRTEEN SUCH UNITS HAVE BEEN PLANNED WHICH WILL PROVIDE SOME 500 CARE-AND-ATTENTION PLACES AND THE FIRST ONE WILL BE READY IN 1988, + SHE SAID.

CONSULTATION WOULD CONTINUE BETWEEN THE SOCIAL WELFARE AND THE HOUSING DEPARTMENTS SO THAT MORE SUCH UNITS COULD BE ACCOMMODATED IN NEWLY-DESIGNED HOUSING ESTATES, SHE ADDED.

+MEANWHILE, PURPOSE-BUILT CARE-AND-ATTENTION HOMES WILL

CONTINUE TO BE CONSTRUCTED AND DEPENDING ON THE CIRCUMSTANCES AND THE NEEDS, CARE-AND-ATTENTION PLACES WILL GRADUALLY BE PROVIDED IN THE EXISTING HOSTELS AND HOMES FOR THE AGED,+ SHE SAID.

MRS CHAN SAID SHE BELIEVED THAT THROUGH THESE MEASURES. CARE-AND-ATTENTION PLACES WOULD IMPROVE SIGNIFICANTLY FROM THE PRESENT 1 400 PLACES TO OVER 4 000 PLACES IN A FEW YEARS' TIME.

SHE NOTED THAT THE CODE OF PRACTICE FOR PRIVATE HOMES FOR THE ELDERLY PUBLISHED TWO MONTHS AGO SHOULD HELP TO IMPROVE THE STANDARD OF RESIDENTIAL CARE FOR THE ELDERLY WHO WERE FINANCIALLY BETTER OFF.

FOR THE ELDERLY WHO WERE CAPABLE OF LOOKING AFTER THEMSELVES, MRS CHAN SAID THAT THERE WERE 30 HOSTELS AND SHELTERED HOUSING PROVIDING MORE THAN 2 000 PLACES.

+SIXTEEN MORE HOSTELS WILL BE COMPLETED IN THREE YEARS, THUS INCREASING THE SELF-CARE PLACES TO OVER 2 800, SHE SAID.

+FURTHERMORE, THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT HAD LAUNCHED A NEW SCHEME LAST YEAR TO PROVIDE ABOUT 150 SHELTERED HOUSING PLACES FOR OLD PEOPLE WHO ARE CAPABLE OF SELF-CARE IN PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATES WITH OVER 3 000 UNITS.

+THE PROBLEM OF HOUSING FOR THE ELDERLY IN REASONABLY GOOD HEALTH CAN THEREFORE BE REGARDED AS HAVING BEEN LARGELY RESOLVED, SHE ADDED.

*

ON THE PROVISION OF MEAL PLACES, SHE SAID THAT IT WAS VERY ENCOURAGING TO NOTE THAT THE PRESENT NUMBER OF 4 000 PLACES WOULD BE INCREASED BY 2 000 IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.

MRS CHAN PRAISED THE CHING CHUNG TAOIST ASSOCIATION FOR ITS INTEREST IN WELFARE SERVICES, ADDING THAT DISCUSSION WAS BEING HELD BETWEEN HER DEPARTMENT AND THE AGENCY ABOUT BUILDING ANOTHER BIGGER CARE-AND-ATTENTION HOME. THE ONE OPENING TODAY PROVIDES 103 PLACES.

/11