Finding dependable support for senior citizens is high on the administration's policy agenda, so the government has encouraged the establishment of numerous community care stations, Premier Mao Chi-kuo stated today.
Care for disabled elderly people has long been the focus of the government's response to the aging of society, and many related welfare measures have been put in place. However, care should also be reinforced for elderly in good or suboptimal health, who account for more than over 80 percent of Taiwan's senior citizens, Mao said.
Thus the government has encouraged the creation of more stations. There are currently 1,969, and the number is projected to surpass 2,000 by the end of the year, the premier noted in his remarks at the Cabinet meeting after the Ministry of Health and Welfare's (MOHW) report on the stations.
"It is necessary to make a personal visit to understand how the stations are operated," said Mao. He visited Guanxi Township of Hsinchu County yesterday to learn how the stations there work in conjunction with communities. Run jointly by retired wardens (borough chiefs) as well as volunteer workers and partially subsidized by the government, these establishments exhibit Taiwanese people's vitality through the spirit of the young taking care of the old, the premier said.
"Based on the principles of localization, active learning, energy, wisdom and health, these community stations play a role in looking after senior citizens, which could help reduce elderly people's disabilities and solve the problems facing an aging society," Mao indicated.
The premier requested the MOHW and the Council of Indigenous Peoples (CIP) to keep track of local demand for the establishment of more community care stations, prioritizing rural and remote areas. He also urged relevant agencies and local governments to integrate resources of local organizations and enterprises to improve the quality and quantity of services offered by the stations.
Furthermore, the premier instructed the MOHW to utilize various media channels to publicize the stations' services, particularly by using storytelling. This would not only benefit those in need to access the services but also allow capable and willing community private associations to contribute their ideas and energy so seniors will receive even better care.
As the Veterans Affairs Council expressed hopes to invest its resources to help the stations, the premier asked the MOHW and the CIP to consider including the council in the program.
When Premier Mao visited the stations yesterday, he enjoined the Council of Agriculture to allocate leftover publicly-owned grain to the stations to reduce their financial burdens, expressing hope that this solution can become a regular policy in the future. He also commissioned the MOHW and the Directorate General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics to simplify the rigid administrative procedures for reimbursement.
According to the MOHW, the implementation plan for establishing community care stations was approved by the Executive Yuan on May 18, 2005. From 2011 to 2013, the ministry allocated the stations more than NT$708.99 million (US$23.2 million) of subsidies, while city and county governments also budgeted incentives (such as award money for good evaluations and subsidies for foodstuffs).
In a survey of senior citizens, more than 98 percent of respondents reported satisfaction with all services provided by the stations, including staff visits, greeting calls, catering and health promotion.