With the Lunar New Year fast approaching, Premier Lin Chuan travelled to central Taiwan where he visited the elderly as well as mentally and physically challenged citizens, and inspected long-term care service sites.
At Changhua County's Mahsing Community care station, Premier Lin said the government is promoting a "10-year long-term care 2.0 plan" to create an integrated community-based care system. By devoting more resources to various levels and types of community-centered services, the government hopes to make long-term care services as accessible as National Health Insurance so that senior citizens can undergo health assessment procedures and obtain the required care, he added.
Such easily accessible community-based care stations not only give the elderly more opportunities to interact with other people, which may help slow aging, but also provide free meals and medicine delivery services. Affirming the Mahsing Community's long-term development in this direction, the premier expressed hope that community-based care services will cover both children and the elderly to turn the community into one big family.
The premier also expressed gratitude to the Legislature for passing the Long-term Care Services Act so that the government has a steady source of funding to promote the long-term care 2.0 plan.
The rural Mahsing Community care station began providing various services such as visitations, telephone greetings, health promotion activities and meals back in 2007, the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) said. Using community resources to raise funds to hire full-time staffers, the station has also cooperated with fruit and vegetable sellers who provide unsold but still edible produce to help feed the elderly.
In addition to sharing resources with other care stations in Changhua County, the Mahsing Community has utilized Show Chwan Memorial Hospital's long-distance care equipment to track the health conditions of elderly residents so that they can obtain medical care data more quickly.
Earlier in the day while visiting the Catholic Non-profit Tsz-Ai Mercy Hospice of Taichung Diocesan Body Corporate, Taiwan, the premier said that everyone should have the right to live with dignity and realize their potential. With more than 1 million mentally and physically challenged citizens in Taiwan, the government is devoted to implementing its social welfare programs to help people with disabilities develop, and find their path and value in life.
According to the MOHW, the Catholic Non-profit Tsz-Ai Mercy Hospice of Taichung Diocesan Body Corporate, Taiwan provides the disabled with professional services based on the principles of respect and care. Targeting people from ages 0 to 40 years old, the institution offers diversified services such as prenatal treatment and education, vocational training, shelter services, employment support and care services.