Policy Address

Care for the Elderly

Elderly Services Programme Plan

63.         I emphasised in my Manifesto the need to respect, love and care for the elderly.  I will ask the Elderly Commission to prepare an Elderly Services Programme Plan within two years.

Ageing in Place

64.         The Social Welfare Department (SWD) rolled out the first phase of the Pilot Scheme on Community Care Service Voucher for the Elderly in September 2013.  The scheme has adopted a “money-following-the-user” approach that enables eligible elderly people to use vouchers to acquire services of their choice.  By end-December 2013, about 750 vouchers had been issued by the SWD.  Meanwhile, the Government will continue to provide additional resources to increase subsidised places for other community care services.

65.         The Government will allocate additional resources to elderly centres to strengthen support for the elderly, including enhancing information dissemination and counselling services, care needs assessment and processing of care services applications.  The support rendered to elderly persons with dementia and their carers by district elderly community centres will be strengthened.  The CCF Task Force is also considering a pilot scheme on a carer allowance for the elderly.

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