XN000022-1991-11-20 — Page 4

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 1991

STARTED MANY

THERE

AS REGARDS PROVISIONS OF RESIDENTIAL FACILITIES YEARS AGO, I CAN JUST RACK ALONG. FOR EXAMPLE, THERE ARE 919 INFIRMARY THERE ARE BEDS. THERE ARE 3,657 PLACES IN CARE AND ATTENTION HOMES,

PLACES 2,026

IN 7,489 PLACES IN THE HOME FOR THE AGED, THERE ARE HOSTEL PLACES, THERE ARE 3,131 PLACES IN SHELTERED HOUSING ESTABLISHED AS I'VE SAID MANY YEARS AGO AND WE ARE BUILDING ON EVERY YEAR. ARE 17 MULTI-SERVICE CENTRES, TEN DAY CARE CENTRES, 161 SOCIAL CENTRES DOTTED ALL OVER HONG KONG AND KOWLOON AND THE NEW TERRITORIES. I CAN NEVER ADD AND COUNT AD NAUSEAM. BUT, IT STILL NOT ENOUGH. THERE WILL BE ENOUGH. THERE WILL STILL SHORTAGE. SO WE ARE BUILDING MORE. AND WE WILL BE BUILDING MORE.

TAKES

BECAUSE IT SANATORIUM

THE

TWO YEARS PEOPLE THE

WILL

FOR EXAMPLE, ON THE HOSPITAL SIDE, INFIRMARY SIDE RUTTONJEE WE'VE GOT THE A

TIME. LEAD LONG REDEVELOPMENT WHICH WILL INCLUDE 152 ADDITIONAL INFIRMARY PLACES, WONG CHUK HANG COMPLEX FOR THE ELDERLY WILL BE COMPLETED FROM NOW TO PROVIDE A CONTINUUM OF CARE, SPARING ELDERLY TRAUMA OF BEING MOVED FROM PLACE TO PLACE BECAUSE OF FACILITY INCLUDE AN INFIRMARY, A CARE-AND-ATTENTION HOME, LONG-STAY CARE

TIN EACH WITH THE CAPACITY OF SOME 200 PLACES. THERE WILL BE THE SHA

TO PROVIDE INFIRMARY AND CONVALESCENT HOSPITAL WITH 700 BEDS AIMED

WELL AS REHABILITATION, CARE FOR THE ELDERLY AND THE INFIRMED AS REHABILITATING THEM BACK INTO SOCIETY,

HOME,

ΤΟ COME INTO THE FIRST PHASE CONSISTING OF 50 BEDS IS DUE OPERATION NEXT MONTH ACTUALLY. OTHER NEW MODES OF SERVICE LIKE HOSPICE CARE WILL BE LAUNCHED. AND THESE ARE DEVISED, I MUST ADMIT, BY VARIOUS VOLUNTARY PEOPLE NOT THE GOVERNMENT, BY THE SUBVENTED ORGANISATIONS, AGENCIES, NON-GOVERNMENT AND GOVERNMENTAL ORGANISATIONS. NOW, THIS VERY ENCOURAGING AND DESERVE COMMUNITY SUPPORT.

IS

I'D LIKE TO MENTION ALSO, THAT CARE-AND-ATTENTION AND INFIRMARY

PRIORITY ON REDUCED.

ONE WAITING LIST

LIST HAS BEEN CO-ORDINATED AND

AS ΤΟ CARRIES THE SAME PRIORITY ON THE OTHER AND THE FINAL DECISION

BY THE WHICH TYPE OF INSTITUTION AN ELDERLY PERSON GOES TO IS MAKE

GONE A DOCTOR AFTER MEDICAL ASSESSMENT. THIS RECENT IMPROVEMENT HAS LONG WAY TO REMOVING THE POSSIBILITY OF ELDERLY PEOPLE FALLING BETWEEN STAFF TWO STOOLS. ASSESSMENT TEAMS INVOLVING BOTH MEDICAL AND WELFARE ARE BEING ESTABLISHED ON A DISTRICT BASIS. THE FIRST BEING IN SHA TIN, TWENTY ADMISSION IS WAITING TIME FOR CARE-AND-ATTENTION AVERAGE MONTHS. IT'S MUCH BETTER THAN BEFORE. BUT IT'S STILL NOT GOOD ENOUGH.

IT NOW TURNING TO MEMBERS' CONCERN OVER THE OLD AGE ALLOWANCE.

SMALL. BUT IS TRUE THAT THE OLD AGE ALLOWANCE INDIVIDUALLY IS VERY COLLECTIVELY IT MEANS GOVERNMENT EXPENDITURE OF SOME $2,000 MILLION A YEAR BASED ON THE CURRENT TAKE-UP RATE OF ELIGIBLE WHICH MEANS 89 PER CENT OF THOSE OVER THE AGE OF 70 THEY ARE FOR THE HIGHER DISABILITY ALLOWANCE WHICH IS NOT AGAIN 55 PER CENT OF THOSE ARE MEANS-TESTED, LOWER OLD AGE ALLOWANCE.

ELDERLY PEOPLE ELIGIBLE MEANS-TESTED, AS

TO BE

CURRENT

THE EXISTING RESIDENCE THAT IT HAS ALSO BEEN SUGGESTED CRITERION GOVERNING PAYMENT OF OLD AGE ALLOWANCE SHOULD BE RELAXED ALLOW OUR SENIOR CITIZENS TO GET IT WHILE LIVING ABROAD. THERE MAY SOME MERITS IN CONSIDERING THAT BUT GIVEN THE NATURE OF THE ALLOWANCE WHICH IS NOT A PENSION, WHICH IS NON-CONTRIBUTORY AND MEANSTESTED, I DON'T KNOW IF WE CAN REALLY JUSTIFY PAYMENT OF THESE ALLOWANCES OUTSIDE HONG KONG ON THIS PRESENT FORMAT.

NON-

/HOWEVER, I