About 20,000 seniors and 7,000 carers are expected to benefit from pilot schemes in Kwun Tong, Kwai Tsing and Tuen Mun districts for elderly patients who are discharged from hospital, Secretary for Labour & Welfare Matthew Cheung.

Speaking at an elderly-care symposium today, Mr Cheung outlined steps the Government is taking to enable seniors to remain at home while ageing.

Under a $96 million integrated discharge support trial programme for elderly patients launched in March last year, discharge planning teams draw up discharge-care plans for seniors who are about to leave hospital, while home support teams provide them with transitional community care.

Since a district-based scheme on training for carers was launched in October 2007, more than half of about 750 people who have completed the first round of training have become carer-helpers, he said. Another 1,500 people are expected to be trained this year.

The Social Welfare Department has also been working with the Hospital Authority to organise a two-year full-time enrolled nurses training programme for the social welfare sector since 2006. 

Mr Cheung said 85% of the first batch of graduates are now working in the social welfare sector, and a total of 930 training places will be provided in 2011.

Click here to read his full speech.