XN000022-1988-02-20 — Page 3

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SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 1988

AT PRESENT, REFERRALS AND PLACEMENTS

FOR SHELTERED WORKSHOPS AND DAY ACTIVITY CENTRES ARE CO-ORDINATED AT DISTRICT LEVEL BY THE SWD'S REHABILITATION AND ELDERLY OFFICES WHILE ITS CENTRAL WAITING LIST UNIT HANDLES APPLICATIONS FOR RESIDENTIAL REHABILITATION SERVICES FOR THE MENTALLY HANDICAPPED.

"SUCH ARRANGEMENTS PRESENT A DISJOINTED PICUTRE OF THE DEMAND, VACANCY AND PROVISION SITUATION.

"ALSO, DOUBLE OR EVEN MULTIPLE WAIT-LISTING CAN VERY WELL EXIST, MR LAU SAID.

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MOREOVER, HE SAID, THESE ARRANGEMENTS DID NOT ALLOW FOR FREQUENT UPDATING OF THE CHANGING NEEDS AND CIRCUMSTANCES OF APPLICANTS, TO EFFECT A CHANGE OF "QUEUE" FROM ONE SERVICE TO ANOTHER

WHEN NECESSARY.

"IN FUTURE, THERE WILL BE ONE CENTRALISED UNIT ΤΟ HANDLE REFERRALS AND PLACEMENTS FOR DAY SERVICES ON A FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED BASIS AND ON THE BASIS OF NEED FOR RESIDENTIAL SERVICES, THUS ELIMINATING THE SHORTCOMINGS OF THE PRESENT SYSTEM, MR LAU SAID.

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"FURTHERMORE, UNIFORMITY IN REFERRAL PROCEDURES AND ADMISSION CRITERIA WILL BE ADOPTED AS FAR AS POSSIBLE WITH PRIORITY FOR URGENT REFERRALS ON THE BASIS OF NEED.

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ALSO COMING INTO OPERATION, IN APRIL, WILL BE A RESPITE SERVICE ΤΟ PROVIDE FAMILIES WITH MENTALLY HANDICAPPED MEMBERS SHORT-TERM RELIEF FROM THE CONSTANT STRAIN IN THEIR CARING DUTIES.

IT IS GENERALLY RECOGNISED THAT FAMILIES WITH A MENTALLY OR PHYSICALLY HANDICAPPED MEMBER ARE UNDER PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL PRESSURE IN TAKING CARE OF THEIR LIFE-LONG DEPENDANTS,' MR LAU SAID.

"THE RESPITE SERVICE AIMS TO ENABLE THESE FAMILIES ΤΟ TAKE A BREAK ON A SHORT-TERM BASIS, TO TAKE A REST OR TO ATTEND TO OTHER MATTERS WHICH REQUIRE THEIR ATTENTION."

INITIALLY, TWO PLACES WILL BE RESERVED HONG HOSTEL IN TSING YI FOR RUNNING THIS PILOT

IN THE SWD'S CHEUNG PROJECT.

FAMILIES WILL BE ABLE TO PLACE MENTALLY HANDICAPPED MEMBERS, AGED 16 AND OVER, IN THE HOSTEL THROUGH REFERRAL BY THE DEPARTMENT'S FAMILY SERVICES CENTRES OR MEDICAL SOCIAL SERVICE UNITS.

ADMISSION WILL BE ON AN ADVANCE BOOKING SYSTEM, ON FIRST FIRST SERVED BASIS. THE DURATION OF THE RESPITE PERIOD CAN BE ONE DAY TO TWO WEEKS.

COME,

FROM

ANOTHER PROJECT IN THE PIPELINE IS PROVISION OF HOME-BASED TRAINING PROGRAMMES FOR MENTALLY HANDICAPPED SCHOOL LEAVERS AWAITING POST-SCHOOL PLACEMENTS.

/MR LAU