Hong Kong ombudsman finds shortage of slots at subsidised elderly day care centres in a third of city’s districts
- Supply did not meet demand Eastern, Southern, Wong Tai Sin, Sha Tin, Islands and Yuen Long districts, according to report
- Availability of venues and qualified staff remains issue, Ombudsman Winnie Chiu says
A third of Hong Kong’s districts could not supply enough places at subsidised day care centres for elderly residents under a pilot scheme to be made standard next month, the ombudsman said in a report released on Thursday.
The scheme, which was introduced in 2013 and implemented in three phases, allows elderly residents to obtain vouchers for services such as speech therapy, personal care or rehabilitation exercises provided by government-recognised organisations.
According to the ombudsman report, 5,289 elderly residents needed day care centre services in the city’s 18 districts as of the end of last year, but supply did not meet demand in six of them – Eastern, Southern, Wong Tai Sin, Sha Tin, Islands and Yuen Long.
Ombudsman Winnie Chiu Wai-yin said the availability of venues and qualified staff remained a pressing issue, especially given the greying of society.
“With the increasing ageing population and greater demand for community care services, I think it is incumbent upon the government to try to find more venues and service providers to match the service needs,” she said.
Under a proposal made by Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu in his policy address last year, the scheme is set to be made standard in the third quarter.
In response to the ombudsman’s investigation, the Social Welfare Department said the scheme would be standardised in September.
The department added that it would step up efforts to promote and refine the scheme.
