July 11, 2011

The Labour & Welfare Bureau and the Elderly Commission will launch a new phase of the Neighbourhood Active Ageing Project, following the success of the pilot project.
 
Speaking at the Symposium on Active Ageing 2011 today, Secretary for Labour & Welfare Matthew Cheung said the new phase will last for two years.
 
A subsidy of $100,000 will be granted for each district project under which activities promoting family responsibility or enhancing neighbourhood support networks will be held. The funding application period will end on September 23.
 
Family members of the elderly will be invited to take part in the programmes. The aim is to increase family awareness that their love and care is an irreplaceable factor in promoting active ageing among the elderly, and that family members and friends should play an active role in caring for the elderly at home.
 
Mr Cheung said: "Through encouraging owners' corporations, owners' committees, property management companies and relevant residents' organisations to participate in volunteer recruitment and to co-organise visits, we hope to enhance the support network for the elderly at the community level."
 
Reviewing the pilot project, Chairman of the Elderly Commission Leong Che-hung said a total of 75 district projects have been carried out across the city in the past three years, engaging more than 200,000 elderly and their family members.
 
Feedback shows the pilot project has been effective in facilitating cross-sectoral co-operation and has been successful in building a community platform for nurturing self-reliance and mutual help among elderly people and enabling them to lead an enriching life.