New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜), the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) presidential candidate, pledged yesterday to revoke the regulation that requires a functionality assessment of elderly people seeking to hire a foreign caregiver.
If elected, he would remove that requirement, not only for Taiwanese aged 80 or above, but also for people aged 70-79 who are suffering from severe illnesses, including cancer that has advanced beyond stage one, Hou said.
The plan is to remove the Barthel Index requirement for the groups, he said at a press conference, referring to an assessment used in clinical practice and research to measure an individual’s ability to complete activities of daily living (ADL).
Photo: CNA
Currently, elderly and severely ill people are required to have that assessment if they wish to hire a foreign caregiver. Approval of the employment of a foreign caregiver is based on the ADL scores obtained in 10 areas of the Barthel Index.
Hou said that if he is elected president, he would review the eligibility system and work out the best way to secure the services of foreign caregivers for individuals who require ADL assistance.
Many people who need help with ADL cannot afford to employ a caregiver in Taiwan, he said, adding that it costs less to hire a foreign caregiver.
The Barthel Index requirement has caused some controversy in Taiwan, Hou said, citing an incident earlier this year when a doctor was attacked by a patient’s relative, after the doctor declined to conduct an assessment of the elderly patient.
Since then, there has been some public debate about whether the Barthel Index requirement should be retained for people seeking to hire a foreign caregiver.
After Hou first mentioned the revocation idea briefly on Tuesday, Deputy Minister of Labor Chen Ming-jen (陳明仁) said the application procedure for the Barthel Index needed to be streamlined.
This could include exempting previous applicants from reapplying, extending the validity period of the assessment, and simplifying the evaluation procedure, Chen told CNA.
While ADL evaluations should be maintained, there should be some discussion on whether people of a certain age should automatically become eligible to employ a foreign caregiver, Chen said.
At Thursday’s news conference in New Taipei City, Hou also promised to prioritize healthcare for women and children, push for a national mental health program, expand the scope of cancer screenings, and enhance transparency in vaccine and medication procurement, if he is elected.
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