The Labour & Welfare Bureau today released the Elderly Services Programme Plan which proposes four strategic directions and 20 recommendations for the future development of elderly services.
It said the Government accepts in principle the recommendations formulated by the Elderly Commission in the plan and will proceed with arrangements for their implementation.
The plan identifies various challenges facing elderly services in Hong Kong, including a surge in service demand coupled with a shrinking workforce and falling number of family carers, and society’s over-reliance on residential care services which leads to an imbalance when compared to community care services.
The challenges also include the changing socio-demographic profile of the future generations of elderly which will lead to users' expectation for more service choices and autonomy in using elderly services, and increasing expenditure on elderly services due to population ageing.
Four strategic directions and 20 recommendations are proposed to cope with the challenges.
They are: Achieving "ageing-in-place" and reducing the institutionalisation rate through significantly strengthening community care services; effecting informed choices and timely access to quality services; further streamlining and promoting integrated service delivery; and, ensuring the financial sustainability and accountability of elderly services.
The Government will formulate a work plan with reference to the programme plan in deciding the priority for various implementation measures, the bureau said.
It will also continue to work with the Elderly Commission to study various issues relating to elderly services, such as measures for further improving the manpower situation and provision of service facilities, it added.
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