The Social Welfare Department welcomed the Office of The Ombudsman’s direct investigation operation report on respite services for supporting carers of elderly persons and persons with disabilities released today.

The department noted the Ombudsman’s recognition of the Government's efforts and effectiveness in strengthening support for carers in recent years and expanding the respite service network.

It has accepted all the recommendations made by the Ombudsman and is actively taking follow-up action, of which some have already been implemented or are currently in progress.

The department will also continue to strive for enhancements of respite services provided by non-governmental organisations and private residential care homes for the convenience of people in need.

It has rolled out a number of innovative initiatives in recent years and improvement measures in response to the Ombudsman’s recommendations, adopting a multipronged approach to enable and encourage elderly persons and persons with disabilities to use respite services provided by the service units.

First, the department requested all residential care homes for the elderly, residential care homes for persons with disabilities and day care centres/units to make use of their casual vacancies to provide respite services.

It also reviewed the distribution and utilitisation of respite places across districts in order to reallocate the quota of designated respite places.

Second, it reminded service units to update in a timely manner the information of the Vacancy Enquiry System for Respite Services/Emergency Placement, simplify the application procedures and not to impose additional examination items beyond the basic medical examination.

Service units were requested to enhance training for frontline staff to provide more comprehensive and quality services to applicants.

The department will continue to monitor the utilisation of respite services and take appropriate regulatory actions according to the established mechanism if any situation of non-compliance is noted.

Third, the department organised visits and tasting programmes of respite services, which encourage carers to experience the services in advance, so that they can gain an understanding of the service and build confidence in the service providers, making it easier for the care recipients to become accustomed to the environment and use the services smoothly when needed.

As at end-June, more than 270 visits and tasting programmes of respite services were organised.

Fourth, the department sustained publicity efforts in encouraging carers to make good use of the 24-hour Designated Hotline for Carer Support 182 183 to match day or residential respite services for needy elderly persons and persons with disabilities.

The number of case referrals made by the hotline for respite services has significantly increased from 18 in the first six months of its operation to more than 240 as at end-August this year.

Fifth, the department continuously expanded the respite service network by increasing the number of service points providing day respite services for persons with disabilities from over 40 to 70 in the past two years, and that for day respite service for elderly persons from 50 to over 300 across the city.

The report mentioned that the average annual utilisation rates of designated residential respite places in some service units or districts are relatively low.

The department explained that respite services are of a standby nature, adding that their actual demands are highly volatile and difficult to predict, making them different from general long-term residential care services.

It also noted its rationale for offering more respite placements is to enable carers in matching with appropriate respite services when they have emergency needs.

In the event of emergencies, such as the recent building power outages, typhoons or the evacuation of residents due to a wartime bomb-defusing operation, respite places have served the purpose in a timely manner of providing a temporary accommodation for affected elderly persons or persons with disabilities.

As pointed out in the report, the relatively low utilisation rates of residential respite places for persons with disabilities is due to fewer actual casual vacancies than expected.

Under the existing definition and calculation method, the actual utilisation rates may have been underestimated.

The department said it will consider the report's recommendation on reviewing the calculation method of casual vacancies of respite places to better reflect the actual demand. 

If members of the public need to use respite services, they can call the 24-hour hotline 182 183, where social workers will immediately refer them to respite service units and assist with applications for transportation subsidies, etc. to alleviate the pressure of carers.