To ensure that care continues after patients leave the hospital, Taiwan’s Ministry of Health and Welfare launched the “Discharge Planning and Long-Term Care Connection Program” in 2017. Through cooperation between hospitals and the long-term care system, patients can more quickly receive care services after returning home.

According to the latest statistics, the average time for patients to connect with long-term care services after discharge has decreased from 51 days in 2017 to just 4 days in 2024. Starting this year, the government aims to shorten the average waiting time to within two days, with the long-term goal of enabling patients to receive services on the same day they leave the hospital.

Many patients still require care assistance, rehabilitation, or daily living support after hospital treatment ends. However, unfamiliarity with the application process or waiting for service arrangements often leads to gaps in care once patients return home.

Under the program, hospital discharge planning teams intervene during hospitalization to assess long-term care needs, create a basic care plan, and help arrange services such as assistive devices, transportation home, and home care services.

By completing care arrangements during hospitalization, patients no longer need to handle applications after discharge. This approach helps reduce pressure on families and improves the overall quality of care.