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The Social Welfare Department (SWD) will provide one-off allocations to organisations operating subsidised welfare service units to step up cleanliness and precautionary measures at their premises to tie in with the "Keep Clean 2015@Hong Kong: Our Home" Campaign.
A spokesman for the SWD said today (August 3) that the department has all along encouraged welfare service units to provide a caring and safe environment for service users. To guard against possible epidemiological outbreak and keep a clean and safe environment, the SWD has from time to time reminded welfare service units to step up precautionary measures to clean and disinfect their premises regularly, and to draw up contingency plans pertinent to their settings. Residential care homes are required to maintain a high standard of cleanliness and sanitation to help prevent illnesses and to provide a safe and comfortable environment for the residents.
"All subsidised day and residential care service units will receive the extra resources to step up cleaning efforts, including subvented residential care homes for the elderly and persons with disabilities; residential care homes participating in the Bought Place Scheme, the Enhanced Bought Place Scheme or the Nursing Home Place Purchase Scheme; contract homes and centres providing day services for the elderly and the disabled; and more. Over 1 870 welfare service units will benefit from these additional resources," the spokesman said.
"We will also provide preventive, cleaning and disinfection consumables to over 700 self-financing and private residential care homes for the elderly and persons with disabilities to enhance their awareness of environmental hygiene and to assist the staff to step up efforts in keeping a clean environment in the homes," he added.
The SWD has written to various welfare service units and residential care homes urging the staff to stay vigilant and step up their efforts in cleaning and prevention work. Welfare service units and residential care homes should pay attention to personal and environmental hygiene of their service users and draw up contingency plans pertinent to their settings.
"The 11 District Social Welfare Offices of the SWD will mobilise volunteers to visit residential care homes and other vulnerable groups such as elderly persons living alone and deprived families for promoting personal and environmental hygiene," the spokesman added.
Ends/Monday, August 3, 2015
Issued at HKT 17:26
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