Department allocating more resources to ageing service users

I refer to Michelle Wong's letter ("Elderly disabled need coordinated helping hand", February 7).

The Social Welfare Department is mindful of the need of rehabilitation service users for a higher level of care and support owing to ageing. Additional resources have been allocated in recent years to enhance the services for ageing service users with different disabilities and a number of initiatives were also implemented to meet the service needs of ageing service users.

In 2013-14, about HK$70 million was earmarked for NGOs to enhance the manpower of existing services. In 2014-15, we have secured recurrent funding of over HK$93 million to strengthen the care and support for ageing service users and to increase the number of service places.

The Work Extension Programme is now in place to meet the service needs of ageing trainees of sheltered workshops/integrated vocational rehabilitation services centres or those with deteriorating work abilities. The Extended Care Programme provides simple rehabilitation training as well as social, leisure and developmental activities in day activity centres for trainees who, due to ageing, could no longer benefit from prolonged training.

While primary medical care is provided for residents of all residential care homes for persons with disabilities through the Visiting Medical Practitioner Scheme, the health care service in homes for the disabled has also been enhanced to tackle the problems of ageing and the health condition of the residents. As pledged in this year's policy address, more resources will be allocated to hostels for moderately mentally handicapped persons and long-stay care homes to reinforce care and support for ageing service users.

Moreover, the government is committed to strengthening community care services for persons with disabilities, irrespective of their age. Besides providing one-stop community support for them and their families or carers through 16 District Support Centres for Persons with Disabilities, the home care service for persons with severe disabilities and the integrated support service for persons with severe physical disabilities also help service users to integrate into the community and relieve the stress of their carers. There are also case managers who will coordinate and arrange appropriate home-based occupational therapy, physiotherapy, and nursing care services for the severely disabled according to their needs.