Residential care services for elders subsidised by the Government aim to provide residential care and facilities for elderly persons aged 65 or above who, for personal, social, health and/or other reasons, cannot adequately be taken care of at home. Persons aged between 60 and 64 may apply if there is a proven need.
According to the level of care and assistance required by the residents, a residential care home may be classified as a “care and attention home”, an “aged home” or a “self-care hostel”. Based on this classification, we have Nursing Homes, Care and Attention Homes for the Elderly, Homes for the Aged and Hostels for the Elderly in Hong Kong. There are two types of homes providing subsidised places for elders, i.e. those operated by non-profit-making organizations and those privately-run.
Residential care homes operated by non-profit-making organizations provide subsidised and non-subsidised places for elders. Subsidised places for elders only include Care-and-Attention Places providing continuum of care, while Non-subsidised Places for Elders include places in Homes for the Aged, Care and Attention Homes for the Elderly and Nursing Homes.
Private homes for the elderly participating in the Enhanced Bought Place Scheme provide Subsidised Private Home Places so as to reduce elders' waiting time for subsidised care-and-attention places.
All private homes for the elderly must be licensed under the Residential Care Homes (Elderly Persons) Ordinance to legitimize their operations. The Social Welfare Department's List of Private Homes with Licence in Hong Kong contains information including the fees and capacity of such homes.
