GOVT. ADVOCATES VARIOUS LONG TERM CARE POLICIES|長照法明年上路 總統訪老人日照中心

The Long Term Care Act is to go into effect next year. President Tsai Ing-Wen visited a daycare center for elderly citizens in Shihlin district of Taipei City on August 12th. She stressed that the government is pushing for a Long Term Care 2.0 plan and will conduct pilot projects in October. It is hoped that 3 types of LTC can be provided in the future: integrated community centers, daycare service centers, and community LTC stations, so that the elderly can enjoy their old age at home and caregivers' burdens are lighter. President Tsai Ing-Wen visited a daycare center for the elderly in Shilin, Taipei and spent some time with the senior citizens there. She played drums, sang, and made dumplings with them. The purpose of her visit was to understand long-term care needs for the elderly. She said that Taiwan will become a hyper-aged society, with 4.8 million senior citizens accounting for 20% of Taiwan's population. Over 600,000 elderly citizens will need care. The government is advocating various long term care policies. ==TSAI ING-WEN, R.O.C. President== If we can have community LTC stations in the future, then the LTC system will become part of peoples' lives. Minister without Portfolio Lin Wan-I said that the funding will come from raising real estate tax rates. The initial funding required is around NT$20.7 billion. The government is trying to come up with a tax system that is fair and will provide stable funding. In the long run, other sources of funding will be needed. ==LIN WAN-I, Minister without Portfolio== The first year will require NT$30 to 33 billion. We hope to use a fund on rolling basis so that funds that are not used can be carried over to the subsequent year. We will also need more funding in the future. President Tsai emphasized the need for the LTC services in communities. Pilot LTC services centers will be set up on a small scale starting in October to establish a quality LTC system for Taiwan. TRANSLATED BY：CHRISTINA LIU 長照服務法 明年就要上路，總統蔡英文 昨天特地 探視 台北市士林老人服務 日間照顧中心，與長者互動，蔡英文強調，政府推動「長照2.0計畫」，今年10月，就要展開小規模試辦，希望達到 在地安養、在地老化的目的，減輕 照顧者 的負擔。 和長輩們一起打鼓、唱歌，還有包水餃，總統蔡英文和老人家，一起度過悠閒的下午時光！為了解老人對長照的需求，總統蔡英文週五特地到台北市士林日間照顧中心探視，她致詞時強調，台灣2025年將進入超高齡社會，全台20%、大約480萬人都是老人，失能長者也會超過60萬人，因此政府將推動「找得到、看得到、用得到，而且付得起」的長照十年計畫2.0，讓民眾在居家巷弄中，就能找到多元的照顧服務。 ==總統 蔡英文== 如果我們做到最後 可以做到巷弄長照站的話 那表示說我們這個體系 就已經是非常非常的進入到 我們每一個生活的角落裡面去 至於長照的經費來源，陪同視察的政務委員林萬億表示，明年長照第一年上路，初步規劃是207億元，打算由提高遺贈稅來支付，財政部正在精算，到底稅率用哪一種版本比較公平，也讓財源比較穩定，預定九月會定案， 至於未來長照經費需求增加時，財源應該不只有遺贈稅。 ==政務委員 林萬億== 第一年開始 約略有 300億到330億的需求 現在是希望用基金的方式 所以滾動式的 如果第一年的(經費) 用不完可以挪到第二年用 那未來的需求會增加 經費也會提高 此外蔡英文也強調，長照體系必須深入社區，因此今年10月就會開始試辦小規模、多機能的示範中心，期望未來能建立一個健全又有品質的長照機構。 記者 賴淑敏 吳其昌 台北報導