On July 15, the Ministry of Health and Welfare's Long-Term Care Division and the Family Caregiver Support Association held a press conference to premiere the advertisement "The Call That Can't Be Made." This ad aims to encourage family caregivers to pay attention to their health and make use of the Family Caregiver Support Hotline 0800-50-7272. Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare Lü Jiande noted that since the implementation of the Long-Term Care 2.0 plan in 2017, coverage has reached 80.19%, with over 505,000 people applying for services. The long-term care services provided include "care and professional services," "assistive devices and home accessibility improvements," "transportation services," and "respite care," helping to alleviate the burden on family caregivers.
Additionally, there are 131 family caregiver support service centers across Taiwan, offering care planning, skill guidance, support groups, and psychological counseling services. This year, 37 new integrated service points will be added to further support families with disabled individuals and mental health patients. Lü Jiande reminded caregivers to follow the "Five Principles of Family Care Safety," including preparing a 1966 Care Lifeline, finding substitute caregivers, having someone to confide in, taking at least 15 minutes daily for personal activities, and establishing a secure handover plan.
On the 15th, the Ministry of Health and Welfare launched an advertisement encouraging family caregivers to pay attention to their physical and mental health and to make good use of the "Family Caregiver Support Hotline." (Photo: Central News Agency)
According to 2024 statistics, emotional support needs (26.9%) surpassed the need for caregiving resources (21.7%) for the first time among calls to the 0800-50-7272 Family Caregiver Support Hotline. Most callers expressed care-related stress, such as anxiety, depression, and helplessness (42.4%), followed by communication difficulties with the cared-for individuals and other family members.
The advertisement was planned by Li Renhao, CEO of Baichuan Advertising, who is also a family caregiver. He expressed that many caregivers feel isolated because they don't know whom to turn to for help. He hopes the ad will make caregivers understand the importance of "speaking out their hardships." In the advertisement, Ms. Chen and Ms. Wang share their difficult caregiving experiences, emphasizing the importance of using long-term care services and encouraging caregivers to call the hotline for help.
From now until September 30, an online solicitation activity will be held in conjunction with the advertisement, inviting the public to share their caregiving challenges in 50 words or less for a chance to win a thousand-dollar gift voucher. For details, please visit the Facebook page of the Family Caregiver Support Association of the Republic of China.
