The Centre for Health Protection is working with the Social Welfare Department to extend the sentinel surveillance system to 57 elderly homes to strengthen the prevention and control of infectious diseases.

In his written reply to a question raised by Legislative Councillor Tam Yiu-chung, Secretary for Health, Welfare & Food Dr York Chow told lawmakers that elderly homes participating in the scheme will report statistics on fever and acute diarrhoea cases among their elderly residents to the centre on a weekly basis.

This will help detect community-wide increases in acute febrile illnesses such as influenza and acute gastroenteritis among the elderly population living in elderly homes, while issuing timely health advice to the public, the secretary added.

Infection control in elderly homes

From January 2002 to December 2004, there were 1,112 tuberculosis cases, 31 food poisoning cases, two amoebic dysentery cases, two bacillary dysentery cases and one viral hepatitis case reported in elderly care homes.

For the same period, there were 1,520 infection cases involving viral gastroenteritis and 13 cases involving fly-larvae-induced infections in those premises.

Dr Chow said the Department of Health, the Social Welfare Department, and the Occupational Safety & Health Council have issued guidelines/codes of practice to residential care homes for the elderly. 

Dr Chow said the three organisations wll update their guidelines on a need basis, with input from relevant parties.

Guidelines under review

The Social Welfare Department is in the process of reviewing its Code of Practice. The revised version will have a new chapter on infection control.

To help elderly homes improve their infection control facilities, applications for a one-off grant under the Lotteries Fund was made available between late 2003 and March 2004.

More than 400 elderly homes have been granted financial assistance to cover expenses for infection control facilities within their premises.