Taipei Times
Date: Nov 06, 2016
By: Elizabeth Hsu and Yeh Tzu-kang / CNA, with staff writer

The government has listed “long-term care” services as one of its key policies, refocusing attention on how the nation, with its rapidly aging population, will take care of elderly people as their growing numbers stress the healthcare system.

Several challenges stand out in the discussion. Who will pay for the services? How will services be delivered? Is there sufficient and adequately trained workforce to provide care? What should the roles of the public and private sectors be?

However, beyond these broader questions lies a more fundamental issue — how would high-quality care be provided to incapacitated people who need constant attention to the degree that they may need to be “restrained” to prevent harming themselves.

At most assisted-living facilities in Taiwan, it is common to use physical restraints to secure elderly patients to their beds or wheelchairs to prevent them from falling and injuring themselves. Such measures are the result of both safety concerns and a limited number of workers at care facilities.    [FULL  STORY]