January 24, 2012

Secretary for Labour & Welfare Matthew Cheung visited two elderly homes in Tak Tin Estate, Lam Tin, today, offering Lunar New Year blessings to their residents.
 
He first visited Grace Nursing Home, where he joined a birthday celebration for two centenarians, and sang new year songs with the residents of Sheng Kung Hui Home of Loving Care for the Elderly.
 
With an ageing population in Hong Kong, he said the Government attaches great importance to elderly care, increasing its commitment of resources in recent years.
 
Estimated recurrent expenditure on social security, care and medical services for the elderly in 2011-12 amounted to $39.6 billion, up 25% on 2007-08 and taking up 16.4% of recurrent government expenditure.
 
On elderly care services alone, estimated government spending amounted to $4.39 billion in 2011-12, up nearly 12% on the previous year.
 
From now until 2014-15, seven new contract homes will come into operation. About 2,300 new subsidised places will be provided through various types of residential service. The number of additional subsidised nursing home places accounts for an increase of almost 50% on the existing places.
 
"Apart from that, we will continue to seek both qualitative and quantitative improvement of private residential care homes for the elderly through the Enhanced Bought Place Scheme," he said.