XN000022-1995-03-31 — Page 23

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Elderly home operators urged to apply a licence

Operators of residential care homes for the elderly are urged to apply for a licence or a certificate of exemption from the Social Welfare Department's (SWD) Licensing Office of Residential Care Homes for the Elderly from tomorrow (Saturday).

Making the appeal, a spokesman for the department said today (Friday) that the Residential Care Homes (Elderly Persons) Ordinance, with the exception of Section 6, would come into operation from tomorrow (April 1).

To further publicise the new legislation, the SWD has produced a poster advising operators to apply a licence or a certificate of exemption. It will be put up at various government poster sites throughout the territory.

"With the implementation of the new legislation, residential care homes for the elderly will have to comply with the licensing requirements on location, space, design, structure, safety, fire precautions, staffing and quality of care to the residents before they are allowed to operate.

"The Residential Care Homes (Elderly Persons) Ordinance aims to regulate homes established for the residential care of elderly persons who have attained the age of 60 so as to ensure that these homes provide services of a reasonable standard and that the well-being of the elderly residents is safeguarded.

"The SWD will regulate residential care homes either by a licence or a certificate of exemption. Licences may be issued to residential care homes which are able to comply with the requirements in accordance with the ordinance," the spokesman said.

Applications for either a licence or a certificate of exemption should be forwarded to the Licensing Office of Residential Care Homes for the Elderly located at Room 2354, 23rd floor, Wu Chung House, 213 Queen's Road East, Wan Chai.

The spokesman explained it was the department's policy that all residential care homes which came into existence and which intended to start operation on or after April 1 this year should be subject to regulation by the issue of a licence rather than the issue of a certificate of exemption.

"Although the SWD will, of course, consider all applications for a certificate of exemption, it is unlikely that a certificate of exemption will be issued to any residential care home which commences operation on or after April 1 this year unless there is something exceptional in the circumstances which warrant a departure from this policy.