The government has plans to allocate NT$40 billion in funds for long-term care services in 2020, said President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Sunday (Sept. 16).
The president paid a visit to the Blessed and Blessing Church in Kaohsiung on Sunday, her second in four years. During her remarks, Tsai said the government has drawn up a budget of NT$40 billion for next year, eight times that of 2016, to provide services to those in their later years.
The aim is to allow all elderly people to be taken care of in the communities with which they are most familiar, according to Tsai. The budget plan for the next year is still awaiting approval by the Legislative Yuan.
The government is planning to establish more long-term care centers across the country in addition to the 5,000 already in place, said Tsai. She added that her administration will focus more on providing affordable long-term care in remote areas.
Tsai also revealed that the next phase of the government’s plan will be incorporating long-term care into the country’s national health insurance and medical systems so that every Taiwanese will be guaranteed health services from birth to the last stage of their lives.
Long-term care services must be connected to the medical system, Tsai stressed. In the future, it is hoped that when an elderly patient is discharged from the hospital, they will immediately be attended to by caregivers at home, she added.
By Taiwan News
