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Policy Address

Caring for the Elderly

100. Hong Kong has the longest life expectancy in the world. The vast majority of the elderly live and age in the community with the support of their families or the Government. Only about 4% reside in RCHEs. Furthermore, about three quarters of the elderly population (about 1.1 million people) are receiving financial assistance under the Comprehensive Social Security Assistance Scheme and Social Security Allowance Scheme. The Government will improve elderly services with due emphasis on both quality and quantity, and adhere to the policy objective of promoting "ageing in place as the core, with institutional care as back-up".

Support Ageing in Place

101. To strengthen the support for elderly persons to age in place, the Government will:

  1. regularise the Pilot Scheme on Community Care Service Voucher for the Elderly in the third quarter of 2023. The number of beneficiaries will increase by 50% in phases, from 8 000 at present to 12 000 in 2025-26. The coverage of the scheme will also be expanded to include rental of assistive technology products;

  2. set up 16 new neighbourhood elderly centres in the next five years and expand the services in the fourth quarter of 2023 to cover areas such as retirement planning and promotion of gerontechnology; and

  3. expand the HA's Integrated Discharge Support Programme for Elderly Patients by increasing the number of beneficiaries by one third, from about 33 000 to 45 000 per annum, in the third quarter of 2023. The number of beneficiaries who can be referred to home support services will increase from about 9 000 to 11 000, so as to support more discharged elderly patients to recover at home.