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Highlights of the Year 2021-22

Legislative Amendments to Ordinances for Residential Care Homes

  • Having regard to the recommendations of the Working Group on the Review of Ordinances and Codes of Practice for Residential Care Homes, SWD’s practical experience in regulating the operation of residential care homes (RCHs), and various stakeholders’ views, the Government proposes legislative amendments to the Residential Care Homes (Elderly Persons) Ordinance (Cap. 459), Residential Care Homes (Elderly Persons) Regulation (Cap. 459A), Residential Care Homes (Persons with Disabilities) Ordinance (Cap. 613) and Residential Care Homes (Persons with Disabilities) Regulation (Cap. 613A) in order to enhance the service quality of RCHs with eight measures, including (1) enhancing the minimum staffing requirements; (2) increasing the minimum area of floor space per resident; (3) strengthening the accountability of RCH operators; (4) introducing a registration system for home managers; (5) improving the registration system for health workers; (6) enhancing the regulation of medicine management, use of restraints and protection of residents’ dignity and privacy; (7) raising penalties; and (8) repealing the certificate of exemption (CoE) regime for RCHEs. The Government proceeded on drafting the legislative amendments based on the above proposals with a plan to introduce the Residential Care Homes Legislation (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill to the Legislative Council in 2022-23.

Licensing Scheme for Residential Care Homes for Persons With Disabilities (RCHDs)

  • The Residential Care Homes (Persons with Disabilities) Ordinance has been effective from 18 November 2011 and fully implemented since 10 June 2013. The Ordinance regulates the residential care service of RCHDs through a licensing scheme administered by the Director of Social Welfare (DSW). RCHDs that existed before the commencement of the Ordinance but were not yet able to fully comply with the licensing requirements may apply for CoEs, so as to allow time for them to carry out modification works to comply with the licensing requirements and standards.
  • SWD has implemented various facilitating measures to assist RCHDs operating with CoEs in expediting the necessary rectification works.
  • As at 31 March 2022, 333 out of 335 (i.e. 99%) RCHDs have met the licensing requirements. SWD will continue to follow up closely on the progress of the modification works of the remaining 2 RCHDs.

Training Subsidy Scheme for Staff of Residential Care Homes

  • SWD continued to implement the five-year Scheme, which was launched in March 2019, to provide full subsidies for home managers, health workers and care workers of all RCHEs and RCHDs in the territory to enrol in training courses recognised under the Qualifications Framework. The Scheme covers practitioners from over 1 000 RCHEs and RCHDs. A training allowance is also provided for the RCHEs and RCHDs concerned to maintain their operations through proper staff deployment when health workers and care workers are attending courses, and to provide on-site training support and assessment for the trainees. As at the end of March 2022, around 60% of RCHs joined the Scheme.

Accreditation Subsidy Scheme for Private Residential Care Homes for the Elderly

  • SWD continued to implement the five-year Scheme, which was launched in October 2019, to provide full subsidies for private RCHEs joining SWD’s approved accreditation schemes under the Accredited Certification Body of Certification of Residential Care Homes (Elderly Persons) Service Providers’ Management System recognised by the Hong Kong Accreditation Service. The Scheme aims at encouraging private RCHEs to improve their service quality continuously by joining independent accreditation schemes, which provide for an objective assessment of their services by certification bodies. Over 600 private RCHEs across the territory may participate in the Scheme. As at the end of March 2022, around 50% of private RCHEs had registered to join the approved accreditation schemes under the Accreditation Subsidy Scheme of SWD, namely the Residential Aged Care Accreditation Scheme launched by the Hong Kong Association of Gerontology Accreditation Division and the Residential Care Home for the Elderly Certification Scheme launched by the Hong Kong Quality Assurance Agency.

Time-limited Programme on Enhancing Infection Control and Ventilation of Residential Care Homes

  • To further enhance infection control measures and improve the ventilation of RCHEs and RCHDs, SWD continued to take forward the follow-up tasks of the Time-limited Programme on Enhancing Infection Control and Ventilation of Residential Care Homes. Programme components include having NGOs arrange for nurses to conduct on-site assessments on infection control measures and train RCH staff in anti-pandemic knowledge and skills, as well as engaging technical and engineering teams to conduct on-site ventilation assessments for RCHs and make improvement recommendations. Meanwhile, the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust (the Trust) offered a one-off capped allowance for RCHs to purchase equipment for improving ventilation and enhancing support for residents. Having regard to the persistently large number of confirmed cases in Hong Kong, SWD collaborated with the Trust again to expand the Programme between March and May 2022, providing specified high-efficiency air purifiers and filters for RCHs with residents under on-site quarantine/isolation to improve indoor ventilation, with a view to reducing the risk of spreading the virus and protecting the health of residents and staff.

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