The Consumers' Foundation yesterday released the results of a recent survey that showed low satisfaction levels with the nation's facilities for the elderly and pointed out the need for higher caregiver-to-patient ratios.
The foundation yesterday publicized the results of a survey of 114 consumers conducted in January on their thoughts about the quality of service in care homes.
About 40 percent of those surveyed said they were not satisfied with the ratio of caregivers to patients at the homes.
A quarter said they were dissatisfied with the quality of the staff, thought the environment was often unsanitary and that the costs were too high.
There were also low levels of satisfaction among those surveyed with the quality of the facilities, equipment and the food provided by the homes.
Foundation vice chairperson Joann Su (蘇錦霞) said that the problem likely stemmed from the fact that more than half of those who move into care facilities must deal with an average caregiver-to-patient ratio of one to eight.
The survey also revealed that 18 percent said there was no physician to perform regular check-ups and 31 percent said the facility did not have an ambulance, she said.
The foundation said that the country is faced with the dire problem of a rapidly aging society and that currently, about 70 percent of the nation's caregivers are foreign workers.
It urged the government to encourage more Taiwanese to study and be trained in geriatric care in order to improve the quality of the nation's elderly care system.
The deteriorating quality of the nation’s geriatric care came into the spotlight recently after a nurse was caught making fun of an elderly patient at a hospital, mocking him and telling him that he would die soon while filming the event. The film was subsequently posted online.
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