Overview of elderly services in Hong Kong

For the elderly in the community who are capable of taking care of themselves：

District Elderly Community Centres (DECCs) and Neighbourhood Elderly Centres (NECs) are available in every district in Hong Kong to support the elderly in the community.

For Elderly who can take care of themselves but have accommodation needs：

Elderly people who are capable of taking care of themselves or have accommodation needs due to financial problems, family changes or abandonment of children can generally consider the following services:

-Housing for Senior Citizens (HSC) introduced by Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA)

-Exclusive group home " Housing for the Elderly " introduced by Helping Hand

-Helping Hand and Hong Kong Society for Rehabilitation have large scale homes in Zhaoqing and Shenzhen respectively for the elderly in need

For elderly people with dementia (formerly known as Alzheimer's disease)：

Social Welfare Department and NGOs provide a range of services, including residential care, day care centers, day and residential respite services, home-based services and community education etc. 

For the elderly who are physically impaired and need care during the day: 

The following services can alleviate the pressure on caregivers to care for frail elders:

- Day Care Centre 
- Enhanced Home and Community Care Services
- Integrated Home Care Services
- Home Help Service

For the elderly who are unable to take care of themselves due to physical deterioration:

At present, there are over 700 residential care homes for the elderly (RCHEs) in Hong Kong, operated by non-profit organizations, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) or the private sector. They are categorized into three types of Homes for the Elderly, Care and Attention homes for the Elderly  and Nursing Homes, according to the needs of the elderly from low to high care.

To apply for government subsidized homes for the elderly or family members, they can contact the following offices :

- Integrated Family Service Centre (IFSCs)
- Medical Social Service Units ( MSSUs)

- District Elderly Community Centre (DECC) 

- Neighbourhood Elderly Centre (NEC) or Social Centres for the Elderly (S/Es)

- Other service units, such as Family and Child Protective Services Units (FCPSUs)  ,counselling units, integrated services for  street sleepers, etc.

Applications must match in accordance with elders' care needs as ascertained by the standardised care need assessment tool before they can be placed on the Central Waiting List for Long Term Care Services of the Social Welfare Department. The waiting time is generally longer than three years for a subsidized place, but can be shortened if the applicant is willing to be admitted to a subsidized place in a private home for the elderly under the Enhanced Bought Place Scheme.

To choose a residential care home for the elderly, we recommend to refer to the list of accredited homes accredited homes under the Residential Aged Care Accreditation Scheme (RACAS) .

Helping Hand and Hong Kong Society for Rehabilitation have large homes in Zhaoqing and Shenzhen in China respectively, providing immediate transitional or long-term accommodation options for the elderly in need. Both homes have passed the Hong Kong Association of Gerontology's "Residential Aged Care Accreditation Scheme (RACAS)"

For elderly who require a high level of personal and nursing care:

The Hospital Authority provides infirmary places, but applications must be assessed before waiting on the Central Infirmary Waiting List (CIWL) for placement in infirmary beds

Infirmary places are also available in some non-hospital institutions.

List of phased elderly services provided by Helping Hand

For elderly who are capable of taking care of themselves：
Holiday Centre for the Elderly 
Special Community Support Scheme 

For elderly who are able to care for themselves but have accommodation needs.：
Housing for the Elderly 
Zhaoqing Home for the Elderly

For elderly with moderate or severe physical impairment who require daytime care：
Day Care Unit（at Cheung Muk Tau Holiday Centre for the Elderly）

For elderly with moderate or severe impairment and unable to care for themselves：
Care Home
Zhaoqing Home for the Elderly

For elders who require a high level of nursing care and are on the waiting list for infirmary places in HA：
Lok Fu Care Infirmary Unit

More helpful information

Social Welfare Department

For information on carer support services, please visit your nearest District Elderly Community Centre or Neighbourhood Elderly Centre .Services include mutual Carer support Groups , seminars and training on caregiving knowledge and skills, and loan of rehabilitation equipment etc.