DSW, Tang Shiu Kin and Ho Tim Charitable Fund celebrate Lunar New Year with elderly (with photos)
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Speaking at the reception, Ms Yip said that the Fund, since its inception in 1977, has been providing financial assistance to needy families and individuals to help them tide over difficulties. Assistance from the Fund helps the poor to face adversity in life and relieves their distress by providing timely and substantial support.
She pointed out that the Fund granted $2.72 million to 737 approved cases in 2015-16, and the Fund had also approved another 430 applications totalling $1.71 million from April to November 2016. A total sum of $3 million has been earmarked for the Social Welfare Department (SWD) as social relief grants for the coming fiscal year.
Ms Yip took the opportunity to extend her sincere thanks to all members of the Management Committee for their long-term support and care for those in need.
Ms Yip added that the Government has devoted extensive resources to various services for the elderly. With the support of the Elderly Commission, the SWD has adopted the concept of "money-following-the-user" in providing community and residential care services through pilot schemes. The Pilot Scheme on Community Care Service Voucher for the Elderly, which was launched in 2013, is now providing a maximum of 3 000 vouchers while the first phase of the Pilot Scheme on Residential Care Service Voucher for the Elderly will be launched in the first quarter of this year. These schemes have embodied features of co-payment, more choices and flexibility to meet the elderly persons' various long-term care needs.
In addition, a two-year Pilot Scheme on Living Allowance for Carers of Elderly Persons from Low-income Families (Pilot Scheme) was rolled out under the Community Care Fund (CCF) in June 2014 to provide 2 000 carers with a living allowance to help supplement their living expenses so that elderly people in need of long-term care services can, with their carers' help, receive proper care and remain living in the community. Phase II of the Pilot Scheme was launched in October 2016 and runs until September 2018. A total of 4 000 carers will benefit from the Pilot Scheme.
The Hospital Authority and the SWD will jointly implement the pilot Dementia Community Support Scheme funded by the CCF. Through medical-social collaboration, the pilot scheme will provide support services to elderly persons with mild and moderate dementia through District Elderly Community Centres to strengthen dementia support in the community. The two-year pilot scheme will be launched next month (February) to benefit 2 000 elderly persons.
Elderly persons attending the reception today were aged between 61 and 90. The Fund treated them to a wonderful show and a lavish and healthy lunch, as well as offering them best wishes for a happy Lunar New Year.
The Fund was founded by the late Sir Tang Shiu-kin and the late Dr Ho Tim, with the DSW Incorporated acting as the trustee of the Fund under Chapter 1096 of the Laws of Hong Kong. Members of the Management Committee include descendants of the founders (advisors), prominent members of the community and representatives from relevant government departments, the Tung Wah Group of Hospitals and Po Leung Kuk.
The objective of the Fund is to provide timely financial assistance to needy individuals and families in emergency situations for which other sources may not be applicable or readily available. Recipients of the Fund include the unemployed, disaster victims, the chronically ill, the disabled, single parent families and the elderly.
Ends/Wednesday, January 18, 2017
Issued at HKT 15:06
Issued at HKT 15:06
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