ENG-2008 — Page 241

Social Welfare | 189

Enhanced Support for the Elderly and their Carers

The SWD has enhanced the resources of the District Elderly Community Centres (DECCs) and the Neighbourhood Elderly Centres (NECs) to reach out to single and hidden elderly people. Additional recurrent funding has been allocated to DECCS to recruit more staff to strengthen their counselling and referral services, and to process applications for long-term care services.

In 2007, the Government launched a district-based trial scheme on carer training in three SWD administrative districts, Eastern and Wan Chai, Wong Tai Sin and Sai Kung, and Kowloon City and Yau Tsim Mong. This will provide seed money for DECCS to collaborate with community organisations in running elderly-care training courses and to develop carer services. More than 765 carers were trained and 6 100 elderly persons were served in the first year of this scheme. In view of the encouraging response, the SWD has extended this scheme to cover all districts. It is expected that an additional 1 500 individuals will be trained in 2009.

Home Environment Improvement Scheme for the Elderly

A Home Environment Improvement Scheme for the Elderly was launched in June. It aims to improve the home conditions of elderly people lacking family support and financial means, thus facilitating 'ageing in the community'. Under this scheme, eligible elderly households can benefit from home improvement works and/ or fittings up to a maximum subsidy of $5,000 per household. The Government has earmarked $200 million for implementation of this scheme over five years. A total of 40 000 elderly households are expected to benefit from this initiative.

Integrated Discharge Support Trial Programme for Elderly Patients

In collaboration with the Hospital Authority, the Government launched the Integrated Discharge Support Trial Programme for Elderly Patients in March. This enhances support for discharged elderly hospital patients and their carers, in order to enhance their quality of life and enable them to remain within the community. The first two pilots under this programme were launched in March and August in Kwun Tong and Kwai Tsing. The third will be launched in Tuen Mun in July 2009. It is estimated that a total of about 20 000 elderly patients and 7 000 carers will benefit from the programme.

Transitional Care and Support for Tetraplegic Patients

To strengthen the transitional training and care needs of discharged patients. suffering from spinal cord injury, neuro-muscular disease or severe spastic resulting in tetraplegia, and to support their families or carers, a Transitional Care and Support Centre for Tetraplegic Patients was set up in 2008.

Funded by the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, the centre provides a time-defined and goal-oriented, community-based rehabilitation programme to patients to improve their physical, cognitive, communicative, behavioural, psychological and social functioning in a non-medical setting. It also aims to strengthen training and support for the families or carers of tetraplegic patients.