RELIEF NEEDED: The Taiwan Association of Family Caregivers suggested a care program that would group families to help each other one or two days a week

Taipei Times
Date: Oct 19, 2019
By: Yang Mien-chieh and Jake Chung  /  Staff reporter, with staff writer

The Ministry of Health and Welfare’s planned relaxation of standards for hiring foreign caretakers for respite care is too stiff in implementation, lacks sufficient funding and has a shortage of caretakers, according to the Taiwan Association of Family Caregivers.

The ministry had announced that it would relax regulations and allow an additional 180,000 people to be employed as respite care workers.

Of the nation’s 800,000 people who are disabled or diagnosed with dementia, 130,000 use long-term house care or daycare services, 100,000 are using such services provided by agencies, 240,000 hire foreign caretakers, while the remaining 330,000 are cared for by family members, association secretary-general Chen Ching-ning (陳景寧) said on Tuesday.

Aside from those who are cared for by long-term healthcare organizations or elderly individuals living alone, 650,000 individuals are in potential need of respite care, she said, adding that the 50,000 people now working in respite care is inadequate to handle the demand.    [FULL  STORY]