Residential Respite Service for the Elderly
Eligibility Criteria
Elders are considered eligible for residential respite service if they are:
- aged 60 or above;
- in need of short-term residential care so that family members or relatives as their main caregivers may take a break from providing the care on a long-term basis;
- physically and mentally fit for communal living;
- free from contagious diseases;
- requiring a level of personal and nursing care corresponding to the admission criteria of the particular type of residential service; and
- to be taken back into care by the family upon expiry of the respite period.
Service Duration
Residential respite service rendered to each elderly person on each occasion shall be neither less than 24 hours, nor more than 6 weeks (i.e. 42 days) which is also the maximum accumulative duration of period(s) of use of the service within the 12 months preceding the date of admission for the service. Advance booking for the designated places for residential respite service is available up to 6 months.
Application Procedures
Referrals for admission to residential respite service should be made by a social worker. Elderly persons or their families may approach casework service units (e.g. Integrated Family Service Centres, Medical Social Services Units, District Elderly Community Centres, Neighbourhood Elderly Centres, Social Centres for the Elderly, Day Care Centres/Units for the Elderly, Enhanced Home and Community Care Services Teams, Integrated Home Care Services Teams and Home Help Team) who will assess the elder’s needs and make referrals to the residential care homes for the elderly or nursing homes concerned if considered suitable.
For elderly persons or their families in urgent need of Residential Respite Service for the Elderly during non-office hours, they may directly approach the service operator of private residential care homes for the elderly under the Enhanced Bought Place Scheme providing residential respite service for assistance. Non-office hours are (i) Monday to Saturday, from 5pm to 9am of the following day, and (ii) Sunday and Public Holidays, from 9am to 9am of the following day.
Service Fee
Care-and-Attention places : $62 per day
Contract Home places : $62 per day
Nursing Home places : $72 per day
