QUITTING JOB OR HIRING FOREIGN CARETAKERS IS AN ECONOMIC DILEMMA|辭去工作照顧父母?請看護? 經濟大難題

In Chinese societies, the role of carer is often undertaken by daughters or daughters-in-law, however, the responsibility sometimes falls on men as well, and a lot of them find it difficult to balance work and family. While hiring professional carers is an option, not every family can afford one. Many now hope for help from the government's new "long-term care" policy. ==MR. LI, caretaker== My dad died taking care of my mother. As I'm the only one left, I can't afford to get sick. 5 years ago, Li's mother was rendered bedridden and unable to speak after suffering a stroke. Before long, her limbs began to atrophy, and Li had to quit his job to help his father care for her. But the elder Li passed away the second year, leaving Li and his mother. A while ago, Li decided to hire a foreign caretaker for help. But little did he know that it would preclude him from obtaining government assistance. ==MR. LI, caretaker== The centers told me that there were plenty programs for me, but I could get any of them. I don't understand why they precluded me just because I hired a foreign caretaker. Sometimes we still need other professional assistance. Being on standby 24 hours a day to care for his mother is no easy task. He explained that his mother had suffered two strokes already, and a third stroke can happen anytime, making round the clock care necessary. ==MR. LI, caretaker== It can never work without help because I can't do it alone. My mother is bed-ridden. She needs to be turned in bed and wears a diaper. She requires medical care, too. Sometimes her problems aren't visible to the naked eye. While Li measures his mother's blood pressure and body temperature, the foreign caretaker helps her eat. On average, Mrs. Li has to go to the doctor six times per month, which makes it very difficult for Li to keep a full-time job and keep both ends meet. ==MR. LI, caretaker== She sees a lot of doctors. There's the stroke specialist, the neurologist, the psychiatrist, the gastroenterologist, the physical therapist, and the dermatologist. I have to take 5 or 6 days of leave every month. No one wants an employee like that. After Li lost his job, he and his mother have been surviving on Mrs. Li's labor insurance and his late father's retirement pension, which amounts to NT$31,000 per month. This means that Mr. Li is only left with NT$6,000 every month after paying the foreign caretaker, whose monthly wage is NT$25,000. In fact, Li's dilemma is shared by many families in Taiwan. On the one hand, not hiring foreign caretakers would overwhelm family members with care responsibilities, on the other, hiring foreign help precludes them from receiving government assistance in all versions of long term care plan so far. TRANSLATED BY：JEFF CHANG 五年前，李先生的媽媽，因為中風，開始臥病在床，後來甚至失去語言能力、手腳萎縮，他也因此辭去工作，專心照顧媽媽，原本，還有爸爸協助照顧，但隔年，爸爸因為太操勞而離世，只剩他一人肩負起照顧的責任，直到快撐不下去，他才申請外勞協助，沒想到因此無法獲得政府的長照服務。 ==家庭照顧者 李先生== 長照中心講很多可以申請的 但我都過不了 很奇怪 因為請了一個外勞就不能過 外勞不是什麼都懂 24小時照顧媽媽的沉重壓力，李先生只能靠外勞分擔，他解釋，媽媽已經二度中風，身體變化大，何時會三度中風，都很難講，因此時時刻刻都需要有人看護。 ==家庭照顧者 李先生== 我能不請外勞嗎 我沒辦法顧 我顧不了 媽媽不是健康的 是躺在床上的 要翻身 大便那些 要醫療 身體的疾病 完全看不出來的 時間到了，李先生就要替媽媽量血壓、測耳溫，外勞則是幫忙餵食，同時，李先生每個月平均要帶媽媽看醫生六次，這樣的情況下，他根本無法工作，也增加經濟壓力。 ==家庭照顧者 李先生== 不可能只看一個中風科 神經科 精神科 消化內科 胃腸科 唉 還有一些病 復健科 皮膚科 你光看一個月就要 差不多請假五六次了 老闆根本 誰請啊 對不對 沒了工作後，李家只能靠媽媽的勞保一萬五，加上爸爸的半俸1.6萬，每月只有三萬一千元，但其中2萬5，必須支付外勞的費用，等於每月只剩下六千元，支應其他開銷。經濟負擔加上照顧壓力，李先生說，如果沒有外勞幫忙，可能真的會想不開。不過，有外勞，就沒了政府協助，無論長照升級到幾點零，對於李先生和僱用外勞的家庭來說，都是看得到，吃不到。 。 有話好說 許純鳳 黃守銘採訪報導