Women’s group the Awakening Foundation yesterday called on the government to introduce a better system of respite care that would allow family caretakers at least one day of rest per week.
About 30,000 disabled or chronically ill people currently reside permanently in nursing homes or similar facilities. Another 170,000 are cared for by foreign caregivers, while about 400,000 are looked after at home by a family member who, on average, has been providing care for 10 years.
PRIORITY
Representatives from women’s groups, caregiver associations and migrant worker groups yesterday urged the government to make the rights and wellbeing of caregivers a priority by creating a respite care service that would allow for at least one day off per week or at least 52 days off a year.
The foundation said long work hours and almost no down time caused many problems. One such incident involved a woman who suffocated her bed-ridden mother-in-law because she had been under long-term physical and mental stress from looking after her.
WOMEN
Ministry of the Interior data showed that four out of five caregivers who look after mentally or physically disabled individuals are women.
Regardless of whether a caregiver is a foreign worker hired as a help or a family member, he or she works an average of 14 hours a day, which means that aside from working, sleeping and eating, the caregiver has almost no time for leisure, foundation director Huang Chang-ling (黃長玲) said.
The absence of good public respite care services has resulted in many caregivers working long hours because if they take a day off no one can take their place, Huang said.
Even caregivers with the most demanding jobs and schedules can only apply for a maximum of 14 days of rest annually.
ALTERNATIVES
Respite care refers to a service that allows a main caregiver to take a break, or “breather.” Scheduling a “substitute” caregiver to take care of a patient at home, or temporarily transferring the patient to a medical facility, are alternatives that could facilitate the implementation of such a program, Huang said..
“Many women take care of a sick person out of love and self-sacrifice,” she said.
“Despite this, we hope the government will use collective resources to meet the needs of the many people who need long-term care,” Huang said.
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