Adeline Mak
Monday, January 04, 2016
Homes for the elderly should offer more day- care services so that those who are not incapacitated can stay with their families, the Hong Kong Society for the Aged believes.
According to chairman Kim Mak Kin- wah, homes for the elderly are filled with many who could live at home if only provided with the right post-surgery support.
He said that up to 7 percent of seniors here are living in homes compared to 1 to 5 percent in other countries.
Mak said many seek help from the society after undergoing surgery because of reduced mobility, and a fear they may not get such accommodation in the future should their conditions deteriorate.
He said if these homes could be more flexible, they could help the elderly resume their self-care ability when they have recovered from surgery.
The follow-up care services, lasting from six to 20 weeks, should include physical therapy to regain mobility, daily life training to boost self-care ability, and follow-up home visits by professional nurses or social workers to track progress.
Professional follow-up support provided by homes will be a win-win solution for the hospital, the homes themselves and the elderly, Mak said.
He believes the district-wide provision of flexible places and support services for the elderly will enable them to continue living with their families as many wish to do while easing the demand for hospital beds and places at homes.
Mak said homes are more capable than day-care centers in providing support services because the latter lack the staff and professional caregivers.
He also suggests the Pilot Scheme on Community Care Service Voucher for the Elderly, launched by the Social Welfare Department two years ago, be extended to all districts.
The pilot scheme adopts a new funding mode of money-follows-the-user approach which, according to Mak, has received a satisfactory response of more than 80 percent.
"We should rethink our post-retirement approach," Mak said.
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