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Charity sets up caregiver center

A charity organization has set up the nation’s first support center for family caregivers to provide them with professional psychological counseling and assistance with their work.

President of the Taiwan Association of Family Caregivers Wang Tsen-yung (王增勇) made the announcement on Wednesday, saying the center would provide counseling on a variety of issues, including psychological distress, family relations, stress relief, adjustment to lifestyle and emotional disturbance. All counseling will be free, with costs covered by money from the social welfare lottery, he said.

Those who are no longer caregivers are also welcome to use the center’s resources, as they may still need counseling on coping with grief following the loss of a family member, he said.

Family caregivers are classified as people who take care of the mentally physically challenged or senior family members who can no longer take care of themselves.

The association’s statistics show that the nation has about 580,000 people in need of a caregiver — 180,000 senior citizens and 400,000 mentally or physically challenged people.

Wang said 78 caregivers had committed suicide in the past two years and that 47 percent of them did so because of psychological problems, while 31 percent killed themselves because of declining health.

Many domestic and foreign studies have shown that a caregiver’s health and psychological condition are undermined by their responsibilities and that many of them suffer from nervous breakdowns, Wang said.

Wang said 65 percent have a tendency toward depression.

Research conducted by the association last year found that 30 percent of the respondents said they needed professional psychological counseling, while 26.7 percent would like to have somebody they could talk to.

An association executive asked caregivers not to bear their burden alone and to call 0800-580-097 and speak to the center about receiving assistance.

They can also visit the center on Changan East Road in Taipei to talk with social workers or listen to music and relax, the executive said.
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