In Hong Kong, assisted-living facilities, referred to by the government as residential care homes, are available for those 65 or over (or starting at the age of 60, if a need is proven).
Overview
The territory's Social Welfare Department administers a licensing regime to regulate residential care homes, under the Residential Care Homes (Elderly Persons) Ordinance, which was enacted in 1995. According to the SWD, the territory's residential care services for elders have, among other purposes and objectives, an aim to provide residential care and facilities to those who are not able to live at home, due to person, social, health, or other reasons.
History
The provision of residential care services began in the early 1960s. Religious organizations established retirement homes, providing limited residential care services philanthropically. Non-profit organizations also began to offer similar services in the end of the decade. Believing that taking care of the elderly is the responsibility of each family, the government initially only provided financial support to the elderly.
In 1972, the government set up a committee to find out the elderly needs in Hong Kong. The report released by the committee helped foster the later development of the residential care homes for the elderly. Among all the suggestions by the committee, the concept of "community support" is still being adopted nowadays.
Lacking government subsidized residential facilities for the elderly, numerous private residential facilities were established during the mid-1980s, but the quality of these private facilities was often unsatisfactory. In 1994, the Legislative Council of Hong Kong passed the Residential Care Homes (Elderly Persons) Ordinance. All residential care facilities (except nursing home, which is monitored by the Hospitals, Nursing Homes, and Maternity Homes Registration Ordinance) must be licensed to legitimate their operation under the ordinance. The ordinance was officially implemented in 1996, and the licensing office of the Social Welfare Department was responsible for its enactment.
To further solve the problem of insufficient subsidized residential facilities, the government initiated Bought Place Scheme in 1989 and Enhanced Bought Place Scheme in 1999 to purchase places in private residential facilities.
During the 1990s, the government conducted another research on the needs of the elderly. The research report concluded that residential care services should primarily be provided to those with more disabilities and that the government should, therefore, set up stricter rules for enrollment and transform all Homes for the Aged to Care and Attention Homes for the Elderly and Nursing Homes. Since then, the focus of residential care services has been to predominantly take care of those with moderate or severe level of disabilities.
In 2001, the government introduced competitive bidding as the new mode of selecting operators in delivering care services in her residential facilities (i.e., contract homes) to enhance the efficiency of her residential care services and reduce the operational costs in these facilities.
With the "ageing in place" as the government's guiding principle in providing residential care services, the government now predominantly focuses on developing Care and Attention Homes for the Elderly and Nursing Homes. From 2003 and onwards, the government no longer accepts new applications to Hostel for the Elderly and Home for the Aged. In later years, the government also gradually transformed these two types of residential facilities and those that are not providing long-term nursing support to places that deliver continuum support and intensive nursing care.
Current situation in Hong Kong
Types
There are several types of residential care homes for elderly persons in Hong Kong.
Number of places
The number of places in residential care homes for elderly persons (as of 30 September 2017) is as follows:===
Regulation and monitoring
The Residential Care Homes (Elderly Persons) Ordinance
The Residential Care Homes (Elderly Persons) Ordinance (RCHE Ordinance), administered by the Director of Social Welfare (DSW) is responsible for licensing and regulating of Residential Care Homes for Elderly Persons (RCHE). The Ordinance aims to ensure residents in RCHE will receive acceptable quality of services that are beneficial to them physically, mentally and socially.
The Code of Practice for Residential Care Homes (Elderly Persons)