As the nation lacks a long-term care system, nearly a quarter of the workforce have at one time had to take leave or quit a job to take care of a sick relative, a survey indicated.
The survey, conducted by the 104 Job Bank and Taiwan Association of Family Caregivers, found that 94 percent of workers who responded to the survey had taken time off to care for a family member confined to bed as a result of a disability or chronic ailment.
Twenty-four percent of respondents said they had taken unpaid leave or quit jobs to care for a sick family member, the poll showed.
The poll found that the average period of time workers spent providing such care was 5.6 years.
Asked about the support offered by their companies, half of those polled said their places of employment had a “work-leave system,” but only 23.7 percent of the firms provided “care support services,” including the organization of “family day” activities and subsidies for caregivers.
The survey, conducted to better understand what kind of care workers provide family members with disabilities or chronic ailments, was conducted from Aug. 18 to Sept. 17 and polled job bank members who were employed and aged 35 and older.
A total of 913 valid samples were collected, of which 100 respondents said they were caring for a relative.
The survey had a margin of error of 3.24 percentage points.
The government has said the establishment of a long-term care system is a key policy focus as Taiwan is expected to become a super-aged society by 2026, meaning that more than 20 percent of the population will be aged 65 or older.
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