The waiting list for residential homes for the elderly was down by 810 at the end of 2015, when compared to the previous year, the government said.

A total of 1,390 elderly people were waiting to be placed at a residential home by the end of 2015, said Parliamentary Secretary for the Elderly Justyne Caruana.

In a statement, she said new applicants for homes for the elderly will from now on be assessed within a maximum of two months.

The Department for the Elderly and Community Care will also send applicants a confirmation letter within two days after receiving their request to be placed within a residential home.

Dr Caruana hailed a recent government pilot project to provide live-in carers for the elderly, saying it has generated significant interest since it was launched earlier in the week.

The scheme is applicable only for pensioners who have applied for residence at a home for the elderly before October and is targeted at those elderly people who would rather keep living at their own homes rather than move to a home for the elderly.

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