- Respite Service

Introduction
Residential respite service is a form of temporary or short-term residential care service for elders. It serves the objective of providing temporary relief for family members or relatives who are the main caregivers of elders requiring a certain degree of personal care whilst residing in the community. It aims at encouraging and helping elders to continue living in the community for as long as possible.

While there are 11 care-and-attention places in subvented residential care homes for the elderly designated for respite service, the service is also provided in all subvented residential care homes for the elderly, nursing homes, contract homes and private homes participating in the Enhanced Bought Place Scheme (EBPS) * through the use of casual vacancies of the subsidised places.

*All EBPS homes provide residential respite service by using casual vacancies of subsidised places with effect from 1 March 2012. 

Leaflet on Residential Respite Service for Elders can be downloaded here.
 (Acrobat Document) (MSWord Document)

Eligibility Criteria
Elders are considered eligible for residential respite service if they are:

1. aged 60 or above;


2. 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;


3. physically and mentally fit for communal living;


4. free from contagious diseases;


5. requiring a level of personal and nursing care corresponding to the admission criteria of the particular type of residential service; and


6. to be taken back into care by the family upon expiry of the respite period.

For further details, you may read or download the following documents for reference :

	Residential Respite Service for Elders   (Acrobat Document) (MSWord Document)
	Annex I - List of Residential Care Homes for the Elderly Providing Designated Respite Places   (Acrobat Document) (MSWord Document)
	Annex II - Application Form (Chinese Application Form applicable for EBPS homes)   (Acrobat Document) (MSWord Document)
	Medical Examination Form (A)  (Acrobat Document)  (MSWord Document)
	Vacancy Position of Designated Residential Respite Places  (Acrobat Document)  (MS Excel Document)
	Position of Casual Vacancy of Subsidised Places under EBPS  (Acrobat Document)  (MS Excel Document)