XN000022-1992-07-31 — Page 19

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FRIDAY, JULY 31, 1992

NOVEMBER START

WORKS FOR THE FORMER PROJECT ARE EXPECTED TO BEGIN IN AND TAKE ABOUT 14 MONTHS TO COMPLETE. THOSE FOR THE LATTER WILL IN OCTOBER AND BE FINISHED AFTER ABOUT A YEAR.

FORMS OF TENDER AND FURTHER PARTICULARS MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE WATER SUPPLIES DEPARTMENT, 44TH FLOOR, WANCHAI TOWER II, 7 GLOUCESTER ROAD, WAN CHAI, HONG KONG.

TENDER OFFERS WILL CLOSE AT NOON ON AUGUST 21.

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INCREASING DEMAND FOR BETTER ELDERLY SERVICES

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AN AGEING POPULATION MEANS GREATER DEPENDENCE ON SUPPORT OF OTHERS, AND AN INCREASING DEMAND FOR BETTER SERVICES FOR THE ELDERLY, THE DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE, MR MD CARTLAND, SAID TODAY (FRIDAY).

ADDRESSING THE 14TH PARTY FOR 1000 ELDERLY PEOPLE ORGANISED BY THE SHUN TAK FRATERNAL, ASSOCIATION, MR CARTLAND SAID THERE WERE ABOUT 800,000 PEOPLE OVER THE AGE OF 60. THE NUMBER WAS EXPECTED TO REACH 1,000,000 BY THE END OF THIS DECADE.

THE GOVERNMENT'S LONG-ESTABLISHED POLICY ON WELFARE SERVICES FOR THE ELDERLY IS TO ENCOURAGE ELDERLY PEOPLE TO STAY IN THE COMMUNITY FOR AS LONG AS POSSIBLE AND ΤΟ PROVIDE APPROPRIATE SUPPORTING SERVICES TO ACHIEVE THIS PURPOSE.

"UNFORTUNATELY, THERE IS ALWAYS A SMALL NUMBER OF OUR SENIOR CITIZENS, ABOUT FOUR PER CENT OF THE ELDERLY POPULATION, WHO NEED RESIDENTIAL CARE," HE ADDED.

SERVICES COULD MERT WITH THE CARE-AND-ATTENTION HOMES AND

HE SAID SOME RESIDENTIAL CARE DEMAND WHILE OTHERS, PARTICULARLY INFIRMARIES, WERE STILL FAR SHORT OF PLACES TO COPE WITH THE GROWING NUMBERS OF INFIRM ELDERLY.

MR CARTLAND SAID SUPPLEMENTARY MEASURES WERE BEING TAKEN то SPEED UP THE PROVISION OF CARE-AND-ATTENTION PLACES, INCLUDING THE "BOUGHT-PLACE" SCHEME UNDER WHICH 500 PLACES HAD BEEN PURCHASED FROM PRIVATE HOMES REGISTERED AS HAVING MET AN ACCEPTABLE STANDARD.

"IT IS HOPED THAT A FURTHER 500 PLACES CAN BE PROVIDED WITHIN TWO YEARS BY CONVERTING LOW DEMAND "SELF-CARE" PLACES INTO MUCH NEEDED CARE-AND-ATTENTION OR MEAL SERVICE FACILITIES, HE ADDED.

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HE POINTED OUT THAT ADDITIONAL CAPACITY COULD BE GENERATED BY COURAGING THE DEVELOPMENT OF SELF-FINANCING" HOMES WHICH COULD BE FUNDED BY FEES OR INCOME FROM SOURCES OTHER THAN SUBVENTION.

MR CARTLAND SAID VOLUNTEER WORK AND COMMUNITY SERVICES PROVIDED BY LOCAL GROUPS ALSO PLAYED A VERY SIGNIFICANT SUPPORTING ROLE FOR THE ELDERLY.

TODAY'S PARTY FOR THE ELDERLY WAS A VERY GOOD EXAMPLE OF THIS KIND OF COMMUNITY SUPPORT, MR CARTLAND SAID.

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