District Services and Community Care Teams – Scheme on Supporting Elderly and Carers (the “Scheme”)
Description
In March 2024, the Social Welfare Department started engaging the Community Care Teams (Care Teams) in Tsuen Wan and the Southern District on a pilot basis to help identify needy singleton and doubleton elderly households, and carers of elderly persons and persons with disabilities (PWDs) through visits or contacts, and refer these cases to social welfare service units for follow-up. The Care Teams will also assist in referring eligible elderly persons and PWDs to install and use indoor emergency alarm systems (EAS, commonly known as “Safety Bell”). Having achieved good results in the pilot phase, the Scheme has extended to across the territory starting in April 2025, providing support and care to elderly persons and carers in all 18 districts.
Target Groups
- Singleton elderly households;
- Doubleton elderly households;
- Carers of elderly persons; and
- Carers of PWDs.
Programme Content
The Care Teams help identify individuals in need of support by visiting or contacting households of elderly persons and carers of elderly persons and PWDs in order to provide the following services:
Care Actions
- Provide continual care to needy singleton and doubleton elderly households, and carers of elderly persons and PWDs through care actions (e.g. visits, telephone contacts, text messages, face-to-face contacts, sympathy cards, etc.).
Support Services and Referrals
- Introduce information about social welfare services or community resources;
- Refer eligible elderly persons and PWDs for installation and use of EAS;
- Refer needy cases for application of assistive equipment (e.g. wheelchairs, walking sticks, etc.);
- Refer needy cases to social welfare service units for follow-up (which include assistance with filling out simple forms, or accompanying seniors and/or carers to social welfare service units for inquiries/applications, etc., in order to enhance their motivation to receive services); and
- Organise support programmes and sharing sessions, etc.