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SLW visits elderly service providers (with photos)
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     The Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, this afternoon (June 5) visited the elderly service units of St Jamesˇ¦Settlement and Tung Wah Group of Hospitals to see how the services provided for the elderly and how prevention measures in fighting human swine influenza (Influenza A H1N1) are being enforced.

     Mr Cheung said the Government had attached great importance to elderly welfare and had allocated substantial resources to promote the well-being of elders. It was the objective of the Government to facilitate the elders to enjoy their golden years.

     The Government has allocated $3.93 billion to elderly services, excluding public housing and medical services, in the 2009-10 financial year. This represents an increase of 7% over the last financial year, and accounting for 10.2% of the total allocation for welfare services.

     ˇ§Upon the confirmation of the first case of human swine influenza in Hong Kong, the Social Welfare Department immediately allocated $10 million for 3,000 welfare service units, including elderly homes and day care centres for the elderly, to purchase cleaning and disinfectant items. The subsidy enables them to step up cleaning and take precautionary measures to maintain a clean and safe environment.ˇ¨

     Mr Cheung visited St James Settlementˇ¦s Elderly Community Centre and Day Care Centre for the Elderly at its headquarters in Wan Chai, where he met social workers of the integrated home care service team and the enhanced home and community care service team to learn more about their work.

     He then visited the Lee See Ping Home for the Elderly of the Tung Wah Group of Hospitals in Chai Wan. He chatted with the residents there and learned about the services provided, including daily care, meal service, nursing care, escort to consult doctors, counselling, rehabilitation and social and recreational activities.

Ends/Friday, June 5, 2009
Issued at HKT 19:27

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