The number of seniors receiving long-term care under the government’s 10-year long-term care project has grown to more than 30,000, the Ministry of the Interior said yesterday.
With the nation’s population ageing, the government has introduced more projects to provide senior citizens with day care, home care, family care, and for disabled seniors in low-income groups, better access to transport and catering services.
The number of seniors receiving care since the project was initiated has steadily increased, officials said.
According to recent statistics compiled by the ministry, the number of elderly home care cases had increased to 30,207 as of June, representing a 6.4 percent increase compared with the end of last year.
The number of day care cases increased by 13.9 percent to 1,023 people, compared with last year, while those receiving transport assistance peaked at 7,386.
The survey recorded figures from 1,065 public and private nursing and retirement homes, but excluded veteran care homes and hospices.
These long-term care institutes have a capacity of 56,893, ministry officials said.
The number of residents this year was 2.03 percent higher than in 2009 and up 0.34 percent from last year.
Generally, Taiwanese seniors prefer to live at home or in neighborhoods they are familiar with, ministry officials said.
As a result, the government’s day care project is aimed at accommodating elderly people with low levels of physical disability and dementia, and assisting working families who need to care for elderly family members, the officials said.
The ministry hopes to add another 13 day care centers for seniors to the existing 72 centers nationwide by the end of this year. It also plans to expand the number of institutes to 120 by 2015, under a three-year day care centers for seniors project.
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