The Ministry of Health and Welfare would defer to the final deliberation reached by the Legislative Yuan on whether it is necessary to introduce a basic act for dementia care, Minister of Health and Welfare Shih Chung-liang (石崇良) said yesterday.
The ministry has implemented two iterations of dementia prevention and care policy, the first from 2013 to 2017, and the second from 2018 to last year, costing NT$50.9 billion (US$1.62 billion), and involving 10 ministries and agencies, Shih said.
The third iteration of the policy, consolidated under the Executive Yuan’s Long-term Care 3.0 program, which would run until 2035, would bring in two more government agencies to help address the rising prevalence of dementia in an aging society, Shih said.
Photo: CNA
Regulatory measures on providing care and benefits for dementia patients are already addressed under the Long-term Care Services Act (長期照顧服務法), the People with Disabilities Rights Protection Act (身心障礙者權益保障法) and the Senior Citizens Welfare Act (老人福利法), Shih said.
Regardless of perspective and opinions, the interests and welfare of those diagnosed with dementia and their families must be upheld, and the government must do whatever it can to prevent them from being ostracized, Shih said.
Legislators yesterday reviewed different versions of a draft dementia basic act to address administrative shortcomings in efforts to care for those with dementia.
Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Lin Yueh-chin (林月琴) said that the implementation of the third iteration of the dementia policy and action plan provided some administrative basis, but the government’s reactions are still lacking.
Taiwan, as one of the fastest-aging nations in the world, needs to future-proof its laws to accommodate the inevitable tide of dementia patients, she said.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Alicia Wang (王育敏) said that a basic act would provide a legal basis for the continuation of administrative measures and ensure cross-ministry efforts to address the issue.
The legislature would provide oversight of the policy’s steady rollout, Wang said.
The KMT’s version of the bill demands that the government present a four-year plan that would also include judicial guarantees for dementia patients, as well as provisions for the benefits and interests of the families or caretakers of people with dementia.
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