An allocation of NT$182 million (NT$5.93 million) to fund a service to provide short-term respite for primary caregivers was approved yesterday, the Ministry of Labor said.
During an internal meeting, the ministry agreed to allocate money from its Employment Stability Fund to implement the respite care plan proposed by the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) on Thursday last week.
The NT$182 million is about half of the total cost of the plan, which is expected to benefit about 28,000 families, said Hsueh Chien-chung (薛鑑忠), a section chief in the labor ministry’s Workforce Development Agency.
The government would fully fund respite care services for low-income households, while it is to subsidize 95 percent and 84 percent of the costs for middle-low-income and other households respectively.
In line with a proposed amendment to regulations governing the respite care program, applicants with family members who are severely disabled or those who have limited support, such as people who live alone or whose primary caregiver is older than 70, would be eligible to obtain short-term relief.
About 32,000 caregivers have been recruited in preparation for the launch of the program, which will probably begin some time next month, said Chou Tao-chun (周道君), an official in the MOHW’s Long-term Care Services Division.
The MOHW proposed revising regulations to expand and subsidize respite care so that foreign migrant workers who are primary caregivers could have time off.
At present, families employing foreign caregivers are eligible to apply for respite services only if their primary caregiver is off work for more than a month.
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