XN000022-1989-11-09 — Page 6

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9. 1989

5

PRINCESS OF WALES VISITS THE ELDERLY

OF HONG KONG'S

THE FRINCESS OF WALES SAN HOW SOME ELDERLY ARE CARED FOR WHEN SHE VISITED THE HELPING HAND CARE CENTRE AT CHAK ON ESTATE, KOWLOON, TODAY (THURSDAY).

HER ROYAL HIGHNESS TRAVELLED TO CHAK ON BY CAR AFTER HAVING ATTENDED THE OFFICIAL OPENING OF THE HONG KONG CONVENTION AND EXHIBITION CENTRE IN WAN CHAI.

THE CARE HOME AT CHAK ON ESTATE IS ONE OF THE LATEST TO BE OPENED BY HELPING HAND AND CAN HOUSE UP TO 78 OLD PEOPLE.

THE PREMISES WERE PROVIDED BY THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT AND THE MAJOR CONSTRUCTION AND OUTFITTING COSTS WERE MET BY THE ROYAL HONG KONG JOCKEY CLUB WITH A $500,000 DONATION FROM THE ZONTA CLUB.

THE THREE

SEPARATE PREMISES THAT MAKE UP THE CHAK ON CARE

HOME HAVE A TOTAL STAFF OF 35.

ON ARRIVAL AT CHAK ON ESTATE HER ROYAL HIGHNESS WAS RECEIVED BY THE PROTOCOL OFFICER. AIR COMMODORE VIVIAN WARRINGTON, WHO PRESENTED THE CHAIRMAN OF HELPING HAND, MRS MARGARET CARTER, WHO IN TURN PRESENTED HELPING HAND'S HONORARY ADMINISTRATOR, FATHER SEAN BURKE AND ITS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, DR KALEI INN.

MRS

CARTER ESCORTED THE PRINCESS OF WALES то THE COMMUNITY ROOM FOR A SHORT BRIEFING ON THE HISTORY OF HELPING HAND.

THE EVICTION OF A GROUP OF ELDERLY MEN FROM A DORMITORY IN TSUEN WAN IN 1978 WAS THE SPUR THAT STARTED HELPING HAND. TODAY THE ORGANISATION HAS BECOME A WELL-ESTABLISHED CHARITY PROVIDING A RANGE OF HOUSING AND SOCIAL CARE FOR NEARLY 1.000 OLD PEOPLE.

BETWEEN 1978 AND 1983 HELPING HAND OPENED EIGHT TEMPORARY HOUSING AREA SHELTERS AND PROVIDED MUCH NEEDED ACCOMMODATION FOR MORE THAN 4,000 OLD PEOPLE.

IN 1983, WITH THE HELP OF THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT; THE ORGANISATION BEGAN TO BUILD PERMANENT ACCOMMODATION IN GOVERNMENT HOUSING ESTATES.

IN 1985, WITH THE GOVERNMENT INCLUDING HOUSING FOR SINGLE, ELDERLY PEOPLE IN ITS NEW HOUSING ESTATES, HELPING HAND TURNED ITS ATTENTION TO THE PROVISION OF PERSONAL AND NURSING CARE FOR ELDERLY NO LONGER ABLE TO CARE FOR THEMSELVES. THIS RESULTED IN THE ESTABLISHMENT OF CARE HOMES WHICH NOW TAKE UP A GREATER PART OF HELPING HAND'S RESOURCES

/BY MARCH