To guard the elders against risks arising from lack of immediate care/accommodation, emergency placement is provided in some subvented residential care homes for the elderly and nursing homes.
Eligibility Criteria
To be accepted for emergency placement, elders have to be:
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aged 65 or above who meet the basic criteria for admission to residential care homes for the elderly or nursing homes;
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certified free from contagious diseases; and
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mentally fit for communal living and having no persistent tendency to violence, self-destruction/self-injury or disruptive behaviour.
The elders also need to meet one or more of the following conditions:
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homeless without the prospect of immediate restoration to family; or
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evicted (or facing imminent eviction) from the accommodation for various reasons; or
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fit for discharge from hospital upon completion of medical treatment yet having difficulty in taking care of himself/herself or having no suitable caregivers; or
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in acute immediate need of alternative placement due to relationship problem at existing residence and in weak health to the extent that immediate removal/transfer is necessary to avoid risks to lives, such as elder abuse cases; or
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unavailability or inability of caregivers owing to acute unforeseeable crisis situation such as hospitalisation or imprisonment of caregivers or sudden deterioration of the elder's health condition which cannot be coped with by the caregivers and community support services with the result that the elder's continuous stay in his/her home will pose dangers to his/her health.
Persons aged between 60 and 64 may also apply if there is a proven need.
Application Procedures
Referrals for admission to emergency placement should be made by a social worker. Elders or persons acting on behalf of the elders may approach casework service units (e.g. Family Services Centres/Integrated Family Service Centres and Medical Social Services Units) or elderly service units for assistance if needed.
Duration of Stay
The period of stay should not exceed three months, other than very exceptional circumstances for which the referring worker would have to provide justifications as well as a prospective discharge plan.
Fees
Elders occupying emergency placement are exempted from payment of service fees for the first three months of stay. Full payment will start from the fourth month onwards for the services they receive, according to the standard monthly fees for the respective types of home.
Click here for vacancy information of Emergency Places in subvented residential care homes for the elderly and subvented nursing homes. You may call the Social Welfare Department hotline at 2343 2255 for other enquiries.
