Government Launches Pilot Scheme to Support Elderly Moving to Care Homes in Guangdong with Monthly Subsidy

Government to launch Pilot Scheme for Elderly Recipients of Comprehensive Social Security Assistance to Reside in Residential Care Homes in Guangdong

The Government will launch the three-year Pilot Scheme for Elderly Recipients of Comprehensive Social Security Assistance to Reside in Residential Care Homes in Guangdong (Pilot Scheme) tomorrow (October 1), which is funded by the Community Care Fund (CCF). The Pilot Scheme aims to subsidise elderly recipients of Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) who choose to retire in Guangdong Province to reside in residential care homes for the elderly (RCHEs) under the Residential Care Services Scheme in Guangdong (designated RCHEs, which are listed at the Annex) to enhance their quality of life. With a quota of 1 000, each eligible elderly person will receive a monthly subsidy of HK$5,000.

Applicants of the Pilot Scheme must meet the eligibility criteria, including: (1) they are eligible for or have already joined the Portable CSSA (PCSSA) Scheme; (2) they will reside or are residing in the designated RCHEs; and (3) they are not receiving any other subsidy for residential care services from the Social Welfare Department (SWD) or other organisations concurrently. In addition to the cash assistance under the PCSSA Scheme, elderly participants of the Pilot Scheme will receive a monthly subsidy of HK$5,000 to cover the costs of residing in the designated RCHEs and related living expenses.

The SWD has commissioned the New Home Association as the approved service provider (ASP) to assist in implementing the Pilot Scheme. Starting from tomorrow, eligible elderly CSSA recipients may apply to the ASP/social security field units responsible for their CSSA cases. The ASP will provide relevant information about the designated RCHEs to assist the elderly and their family members in selecting a suitable RCHE on their own and filing their applications. Upon completion of the vetting procedures, the SWD will issue notification letters to the applicants to inform them of their application results and the subsidy disbursement arrangements.

The ASP will organise experience tours to some of the designated RCHEs, providing the elderly with an opportunity to tour the facilities and experience the services in order to select a suitable RCHE. Tentatively the first experience tour will be held in November this year. The SWD will issue letters to eligible elderly CSSA recipients by batches to promote the Pilot Scheme and invite them to join the experience tours.

A spokesman for the SWD supplemented that the Hong Kong Housing Authority has adopted a more flexible tenancy arrangement since March this year, providing a longer adaptation period for elderly persons who choose to retire on the Mainland. Elderly Public Rental Housing (PRH) tenants participating in the Pilot Scheme could retain their existing PRH units or tenancies for six months (previously three months), starting from their departure from Hong Kong to retire on the Mainland. The above arrangement is also applicable to the elderly residents of rental estates of the Hong Kong Housing Society.

More details of the Pilot Scheme are available on the websites of the CCF (www.communitycarefund.hk) and the SWD (www.swd.gov.hk). For enquiries, please contact the CCF team of the SWD on 3422 3090 or the ASP New Home Association on 28157399 during office hours.

Source: AI-found images

Dog Adoption Carnival 2026 to be held this weekend

The "Let's Go! The Pet Owners' Journey" Dog Adoption Carnival 2026, organised by the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD), will be held at the Cyberport Arcade between 11am and 6pm this weekend (January 17 and 18). Admission is free. Members of the public are welcome to join the event with their dogs.

The Adoption Carnival aims to encourage members of the public who intend to keep pets, to adopt abandoned or unclaimed animals, as well as promote responsible pet ownership. The co-organisers of the Carnival include Cheung Chau Animal Care, HK Saving Cat and Dog Association, Lifelong Animal Protection Charity, Paws United Charity, Society for Abandoned Animals, Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and Team for Animals in Lantau South.

Members of the public can interact with dogs that are up for adoption at the Adoption Carnival. Dog keepers can apply for or renew licenses on site. The Carnival also features veterinary consultation services, a dog playground, a virtual reality gaming experience, game booths, an interactive educational exhibition, pet-themed handicraft workshops, as well as sharing sessions by representatives of animal welfare organisations (AWOs) and guest speakers. Participants are welcome to take part with their dogs. However, dogs entering the venue should be licensed (except for those to be licensed on-site), vaccinated against rabies, and microchipped. All dogs should also be kept under proper control.

The AFCD has been committed to encouraging members of the public who wish to keep pets to adopt abandoned or unclaimed animals through the AFCD's partnering AWOs. Upon receiving animals, the AFCD will transfer animals assessed by veterinarians as being in good health and suitable for adoption to partnering AWOs for adoption by members of the public. The AFCD provides free desexing operations for cats, dogs and rabbits adopted through partnering AWOs.

For details of the event, please visit the thematic website of the "Let's Go! The Pet Owners' Journey" Dog Adoption Carnival 2026 (www.petswithlove.com.hk).

Source: AI-found images