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The Social Welfare Department (SWD) today (August 21) invited eligible non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and social enterprises (SEs) to submit an Expression of Interest in joining the Pilot Scheme on Community Care Service Voucher for the Elderly (the Pilot Scheme).
A spokesman for the SWD said, "Ageing in the community is the wish of most elders. The Government has thus put in resources in recent years to enhance the community care services to support aging in place, including the provision of day and home care services. To allow further flexibility for elders on the selection of services, a new funding mode will be implemented through the Pilot Scheme, in which users are free to choose the service providers, types of services and service packages which best suit their needs, with 'money follows the user' put into practice.
"We believe that with these additional resources the introduction of the Community Care Service Voucher for the Elderly will attract a variety of service providers to join the market, including social enterprises, and promote market sustainability, diversity and service quality, which will bring benefits to the elders.
"The targeted users should be aged 65 or above who have been assessed by the SWD's Standardised Care Need Assessment Mechanism for Elderly Service as moderately impaired, and are waiting for service in the Long Term Care Services Delivery System. They should be living in the community and not receiving any type of subsidised residential care or community care service. The Pilot Scheme will be launched in selected districts based on district profiles and the readiness of NGOs and SEs to join the scheme. We are now inviting their Expression of Interest in drawing up the details of the Pilot Scheme, which is tentatively scheduled to commence in the third quarter of 2013," he added.
A briefing session will be held early next month for interested NGOs and SEs to join the first phase of the Pilot Scheme. For details, please refer to the SWD website (www.swd.gov.hk).
Should organisations have any queries, please contact the Elderly Branch of the SWD at 2892 5513 or send an email to ssv@swd.gov.hk
Ends/Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Issued at HKT 18:44
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