In this file photo dated March 29, 2022, an elderly couple shops in a market in Hong Kong. (PHOTO / AFP)

HONG KONG – The Social Welfare Department on Thursday vowed to enhance the effectiveness of a voucher program that allows the city's frail and elderly residents to age in a home of their choice.

The SWD said in a statement that it will follow up on the recommendations of Ombudsman Winnie Chiu Wai-yin to improve the Pilot Scheme on Community Care Service Voucher (CCSV) for the Elderly, which will be regularized in September and is expected to serve 12,000 elderly persons by 2025.

The program will also be expanded to include rental of assistive technology products to enhance the quality of life of the elderly and alleviate the pressure on their carers

The program was started in September 2013 for frail elderly persons to age in place under the "money-following-the-user" mode of support.

“To encourage elderly persons to age in place, the Scheme provides more diversified community care services for elderly persons who have been assessed and recommended as suitable for receiving residential care services or community care services,” the department said.

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Under the principle of co-payment by CCSV holders and the Hong Kong government, eligible elderly persons can choose their own recognized service providers, service types and service packages which suit their needs.

The program will also be expanded to include rental of assistive technology products to enhance the quality of life of the elderly and alleviate the pressure on their carers. CCSV holders will be able to purchase services from two recognized service providers at the same time, increasing the flexibility of using CCSV services.

The department will also launch the Voucher Information System for the Elderly in September this year, through which CCSV holders will be able to access real-time information on voucher usage and search for recognized service providers.

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“The SWD hopes that the new measures to be introduced after regularization will attract more eligible elderly persons to use CCSV services and encourage more service providers to participate in the Scheme,” the department added.