《TAIPEI TIMES 焦點》 Long-term care program to begin trials

NO QUARTER: The central and local governments must coordinate their efforts toward realizing the program, Tsai said, adding that only success would be accepted

By Jonathan Chin / Staff writer, with CNA

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President Tsai Ing-wen （蔡英文） yesterday convened a High-Level Policy Coordination Meeting to discuss the “long-term care services program 2.0” for elderly people and people with disabilities, with trial programs scheduled to begin today.

The program would build a high-quality, low-cost and widespread long-term care infrastructure with the aim of reducing the burden on families and increasing the quality of life for elderly people, Tsai said at the meeting.

The program is a bellwether policy for her administration toward which the central and local governments must coordinate their efforts and integrate their resources, and agencies must itemize annual targets for the implementation of the program, Tsai said.

“Only success will be accepted and no failure will be brooked,” she added.

According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the program will focus on building community-based service networks and care centers that are divided into three tiers.

A-tier long-term care community service network centers are the “flagships” of the program and at least one such center is to be established in each county or special municipality, while those with higher populations might have more than two centers, the ministry said.

B-tier combined service centers, or “long-term care specialty stores,” are to provide specialized care on a more local level, the ministry said, adding that it plans to establish one B-tier center in each public junior high-school district.

C-tier neighborhood care stations, or “corner stores,” are to be established at a density of at least one station for every three boroughs, with a focus on providing services accessible to every neighborhood, it said.

According to a ministry report, of the 20 community-based long-term care proposals submitted by counties and special municipalities, nine passed ministry reviews and would be implemented on a trial basis, starting today.

Of the remaining proposals, 14 were returned to local governments for revision, while three would be implemented in “phase 2,” according to the report.

The trial program is to begin in the following special municipalities and counties: Taipei’s Wanhua District （萬華）; New Taipei City’s Sinjhuang District （新莊）; Chiayi City’s West District （西區）; Chiayi County’s Minsyong （民雄） and Sikou （溪口） townships; Yunlin’s Douliou City （斗六） and Linnei Township （林內）; Nantou’s Puli （埔里） and Guosing （國姓） townships; Taoyuan’s Fusing （復興） and Yuansiang （原鄉） districts; Hualien’s Jhuosi （卓溪）, Yuli （玉里） and Yuansiang （原鄉） townships; and Taitung’s Jinfeng （金峰） and Yuansiang （原鄉） townships.

The ministry estimates that the trial projects would bring long-term care to 18,000 people.

新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES