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Along with the advancement of healthcare system and technology, Taiwan formally became an old-age society in September 1993, as the cohort of sixty-five years or older reached 7.1% of the total population. Coupled with the aging population and social change are the problems associated with senior citizens. Also, there are various chronic diseases prevailing in Taiwan. The general public may not have received good advices and sufficient supports as they get old or get sick. The purpose of this research is to gain a better understanding of the general public’s attitude toward the long-term care systems in Taiwan as well as the factors affecting their choice of systems. The results of this study will shed insights and provide suggestions for policy-makers to improve the future long-term care services.
Long-term care is not just a nursing or medical issue. It also covers the social and psychological aspects in providing people with independence and dignity of living. Therefore, this research aims first at exploring the issues of social care for senior citizens and the development of long-term care systems in Taiwan. It also addresses issues such as aging process at home, de-institutionalization of long-term care services, etc. Based on the data from the Second Term of the Fourth Period of “Fundamental Investigation Project on Taiwan Social Change” conducted by the Institute of Sociology Academia Sinica, we use quantitative and statistical analyses to study the aforementioned issues.
The study finds that over fifty percent of the people studied are in favor of home-based care and support the concept of completing the aging process at home. Twenty percent of them are uncertain about what arrangement to have for their future care. The factors which affect people’s attitudes toward long-term care include: sex, father’s birth place, marital status, education, monthly household income, location of residence (e.g., city vs. countryside), job positions and employment status. It is found that those with older age, elementary-school education, monthly household income below NT$30,000 and living in countryside are in favor of home-based care. Those with father’s birth place in China, single, at least college education, employed with monthly household income greater than NT$100,000 and living in metropolitan area are in favor of institutional care. Those younger than 29 years old are in favor of community-based care systems.
The research findings suggest that, for the general public to receive their most desired care and services, the government needs to have a comprehensive and effective policy on long-term care in place. Specifically, we suggest that the government set up a national pension system, improve the national health insurance system, develop a long-term care insurance system, actualize the user-pays-for-service principle, promote home-based and community-based cares, exert control over the use of institutional services, and establish a strong cross-department administrative unit and care management systems.
Furthermore, the government should educate the public concerning the coming of an aging society, develop as soon as possible a well-conceived plan for the utilization of the senior citizens as valuable human resources, strengthen and encourage the between-generation interactions, promote the long-term care concepts through schools and society as a whole so that the long-term care systems can be perfected.
Keywords: long-term care, Taiwan, general public
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