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LCQ18: Support services for elderly carers
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     Following is a question by the Hon Cheung Kwok-che and a written reply by the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, in the Legislative Council today (July 4):

Question:

     Some fellow workers in the social welfare sector (fellow workers) have indicated that while the population in Hong Kong is ageing, family carers (carers) of frail elderly shoulder an increasingly heavy responsibility, and the lack of comprehensive ancillary support for the elderly care policy of ageing in place introduced by the Government exerts enormous psychological pressure on the carers and degrades their quality of living. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(a) given that some fellow workers in district elderly community centres have reflected that because of the heavy responsibility in taking care of frail elderly, about 70% of the clients in the counselling cases are carers, whether it knows the number of carers in Hong Kong at present; if such data is not available, whether it will collect the data in respect of such carers in the future for reference; if it will, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;

(b) given that the intent of the authorities in introducing Day Respite Service for Elders (Day Respite Service) is to support carers who provide long-term care for elderly people and share some of their responsibilities, as well as to give them an opportunity to take a short break when necessary, but there are only 109 service places of Day Respite Service in Hong Kong, of the average waiting time for such service and the numbers of persons waiting for such service in various districts at present; of the number of additional service places provided in each of the past five years; given that some elderly people have not been given Day Respite Service after waiting for an extended period of time, whether the authorities will provide counselling service for the carers suffering from inadequate rest and mental stress because they have to take care of these elderly people; if they will, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;

(c) given that the Residential Respite Service for Elders may also relieve the pressure on carers, of the numbers of persons waiting for Residential Respite Service for Elders in various districts at present; the average waiting time for such service in various districts; the numbers of additional service places provided in various districts in each of the past five years;

(d) given that some fellow workers have reflected that the Carer Support Service introduced by the Social Welfare Department is ineffective in that when carers attend such skill training courses and participate in the group or social activities, the frail elderly are left at home unattended, whether the authorities will implement ancillary supporting measures in order to provide effective support service for carers; if they will, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and

(e) given that the Government provides home-based Enhanced Home and Community Care Service and Integrated Home Care Services for frail elderly, of the respective numbers of persons who applied for and received such home-based services in various districts in each of the past five years; in respect of the persons who received such home-based services last year, of the waiting time for such services (and set out the breakdown in the Annex)?

Reply:

President,

     My reply to the five-part question raised by the Hon Cheung Kwok-che is as follows:

(a) Elders who reside in the community often require different levels of assistance and care from their family or others.  As such assistance and care arrangement may change from time to time, it is difficult for the Administration to define and identify carers in Hong Kong as well as maintain any data concerning them.

(b) & (c) Day Respite Service for the Elders is provided by 63 subvented day care centres/units for the elderly across the territory. The Social Welfare Department (SWD) has designated 109 day respite places in these centres/units. If any individual centre/unit has casual vacancy available in their day care service, the centre/unit concerned can also make use of the casual vacancy to provide respite service. During the five-year period from 2007-08 to 2011-12, SWD has provided an additional 50 designated day respite places. SWD will continue to designate day respite places in the newly established subvented centres/units.

     Regarding residential respite service, apart from subvented residential care homes for the elderly (RCHEs) which provide 11 residential respite places designated by SWD, every nursing home, subvented RCHE and contract RCHE has been utilising its subsidised places which are casually vacant to provide residential respite service. Starting from March 2012, SWD has also made use of the subsidised places which are casually vacant in private RCHEs under the Enhanced Bought Place Scheme to provide additional residential respite places.

     As applications for day and residential respite services are made directly to the service units, or referred by other units, they do not come under the central waiting mechanism of SWD.  As a result, SWD does not have the number of people waiting for such services nor the waiting time. Nevertheless, SWD checks with the service providers from time to time about the usage of respite services as service planning reference.
We understand that quite a number of carers are under pressure. If they need any counselling service, they can seek help from District Elderly Community Centres (DECCs) and Integrated Family Service Centres/Integrated Services Centres.

(d) In addition to counselling service, SWD offers other support services to carers through DECCs, Neighbourhood Elderly Centres, Home Care Service Teams, Day Care Centres/Units for the elderly etc. throughout the territory. These support services include provision of information, assistance in forming mutual-assistance groups, arrangement for demonstration and loan of rehabilitation equipment etc. In 2008, the Government also increased the number of social workers in each DECC to enhance counselling and referral services to the elders in need as well as their carers.

     In addition, SWD has introduced "District-based Scheme on Carer Training" (the Scheme) to provide basic knowledge of elderly care so as to enhance the caring capabilities of the carers. As of March 2012, there are 119 elderly centres participating in the Scheme and 8 600 carers have been trained successfully.
 
     If carers experience any difficulties in taking care of their elders at home when they participate in these training and activities, they may seek assistance from social workers at elderly centres.

(e) From the period 2007-08 to 2011-12, the number of persons who applied for and received the Enhanced Home and Community Care Services (EHCCS) and Integrated Home Care Services (IHCS) (Frail Cases) are as follows:

Year             No. of persons

         No. of Persons    No. of persons  
         who applied for   who received
         services          services

2007-08  2 243             5 062
2008-09  2 736             6 138
2009-10  2 934             6 114
2010-11  3 207             5 694
2011-12  4 179             7 295

Note: "No. of persons who received services" refers to the total number of persons who have received either of the above services during each year.

     As of end-May 2012, there were a total of 493 persons waiting for EHCCS and IHCS (Frail Cases). The current average waiting time for these services is about two months, which is shorter than the average waiting time as at end-May 2011 (about five months). As SWD will provide an additional 500 EHCCS places in 2012-13, it is believed that the wait-listing situation could be further relieved.

Ends/Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Issued at HKT 16:40

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