Policy Address

Elderly Services

173. The Elderly Commission is conducting the third-stage public engagement exercise of the Elderly Services Programme Plan. Preliminary observations show that the public and stakeholders generally support the policy of “ageing in place as the core, institutional care as back-up”, reckoning that community care services should be strengthened. The report on the Elderly Services Programme Plan is expected to be completed in the second quarter of this year.

174. Before completion of the report, we will seize each and every opportunity to improve elderly services, particularly community care services, by inviting the CCF to consider implementing two pilot schemes to support elderly persons discharged from public hospitals after treatment and elderly persons with mild impairment. Moreover, the Government continues to implement the Second Phase of the Pilot Scheme on Community Care Service Voucher for the Elderly financed by the Lotteries Fund, with the quota increased to 3 000 vouchers in October last year. The Government will provide an additional 2 000 vouchers under the scheme to support ageing in place for elderly persons with moderate or severe impairment.

175. The Government will continue to increase the number of subsidised residential care places for the elderly. From the first quarter of this year, we will implement the Pilot Scheme on Residential Care Service Voucher for the Elderly by adopting a “money-following-the-user” approach, with a view to offering elderly persons in need of residential care service with an additional choice. Under the pilot scheme, a total of 3 000 service vouchers will be issued from 2017 to 2019.

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