The Social Welfare Department will lay down a set of quality control standards to oversee the operation of private residential care homes for the elderly and disabled.
The Service Quality Standards are currently used in the supervision of subvented homes, contract homes and private homes in bought place schemes.
Secretary for Labour & Welfare Matthew Cheung told legislators today the set of standards will define what is expected of the care homes in terms of management and service provision.
The department will provide training and support to help private home operators implement the standards.
Mr Cheung added the department will also help them develop a fair, just and open complaint system.
Over the past five years the department received an annual average of about 300 complaints relating to residential care homes.
The complaints are about care services (40%), management (15%), meals, environment and facilities (10%), and manpower arrangement (10%).
