ENG-1999 — Page 241

SOCIAL WELFARE

family crises or their behavioural or emotional problems. At the end of 1999, there were 580 foster care places, 904 places in small group homes and 1 464 places in children's homes, boys' and girls' homes and hostels.

Child care centres provide day-care facilities for children under the age of six. At the end of 1999, there were 27 448 aided/government day nursery places, 1 241 aided day creche places and 699 occasional child care places provided in 259 centres. All child care centres were registered under the Child Care Services Ordinance and Child Care Centres Regulations. The fee assistance scheme helps low-income families in financial need to pay child care centre fees.

Medical Social Services

Medical social workers provide patients and their families with individual and group counselling, financial aid, housing assistance or referral to other community resources to facilitate their treatment, rehabilitation and re-integration into the society. To provide easy access to patients and their family members, medical social workers are stationed in public hospitals and specialist clinics so that immediate advice and assistance can be rendered to those in need. Medical social workers also contribute and assist in the teaching of student-professionals in medicine, nursing, social work and other allied health professions on the social and psychological implications of illness and disabilities. In 1999, 268 800 cases received services from 385 medical social workers.

Care for the Elderly

The basic principle underlying services for the elderly is to provide elderly people with a sense of security, a sense of belonging and a feeling of health and worthiness. According to the policy of ‘ageing in place', services for the elderly are provided with the objectives to promote the well-being of those persons aged 60 and over in all aspects of their life.

Community support services are provided to elderly people who require assistance to continue living at home. These services also give support to their carers. At the end of the year, there were 32 multi-service centres for the elderly, 137 home help teams, 25 home care teams, 31 day care centres for the elderly, two carers' support centres, 211 independent social centres for the elderly, 32 support teams for the elderly, one holiday centre for the elderly and one outdoor/recreational pool bus service for the elderly. A pilot project was implemented in 1999 to allow service providers greater flexibility in the organisation of resources to provide home care and meal services in accordance with the needs of the clients. Funding for provision of the services was allocated through competitive bidding. Under the Senior Citizen Card Scheme, about 610 000 Senior Citizen Cards were issued by the end of 1999. A total of 2 041 companies, organisations, government departments (with 4 530 units and outlets) and 837 medical units (with 960 branches) participated in the scheme to provide concessions, discounts and priority services to senior citizens.

Residential care is provided for elderly people who need care in their daily living which can be provided only in a residential setting. At the end of 1999, there were 896 hostel places, 7 098 homes for the aged places, 8 992 care-and-attention home places, 1 400 nursing home places, 3 027 self-financing home places, 16 respite places, 476 cases receiving infirmary care supplement and 381 cases receiving dementia care

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