Long-Term Care to Include Foreign Laborers; Ministry of Health and Welfare Plans 3 Phases to Address Manpower Shortage

(Central News Agency, reporter Tseng Yi-ning, Taipei, July 1) The Legislative Yuan's Health and Welfare Committee convened a public hearing on the amendment of the Long-Term Care Services Act today, with various parties focusing on the issue of insufficient long-term care manpower. Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare, Lu Chien-te, stated that a three-phase plan is being formulated to integrate foreign labor into the long-term care system, and agreed that tiered caregiver classifications would help promote professional development.

The Social Welfare and Health Environment Committee of the Legislative Yuan held a public hearing today on the amendment of the "Long-Term Care Services Act," inviting experts, scholars, practitioners, non-governmental organizations, and user representatives to jointly examine the challenges faced in promoting Long-Term Care 3.0.

DPP legislator Lin Yueh-chin pointed out that the Ministry of Health and Welfare estimates that an average of about 4,000 additional caregivers will be needed each year over the next 10 years to support the growing care demands. She also noted that many counties and cities are already experiencing a shortage of professional care management personnel and suggested a review of manpower allocation.

KMT legislator Wang Yu-min stated that many groups have previously advocated for the formal inclusion of foreign caregivers, currently used by over 200,000 people, into the long-term care system. Now that long-term care is entering its 3.0 phase, the government should make appropriate adjustments.

Li Shih-hung, chairman of the Taiwan Community-Based Long-Term Care Strategy Alliance, pointed out that the caregiver industry has flourished since the launch of Long-Term Care 2.0 in 2017, but manpower growth has slowed in the past four years. Since Long-Term Care 1.0, home care services have been defined to include physical care and domestic services. However, due to potential unnecessary behaviors and troubles during service provision, some counties and cities refused to include domestic services as long-term care items.

Li Shih-hung believes that such simplification is beneficial for the professionalism of caregiving manpower. The government has recently launched demonstration projects for core and non-core services. Although specific implementation and evaluation methods are yet to be determined, considering long-term care funding and manpower, it is indeed necessary to amend the home care service items in the "Long-Term Care Services Act" to ensure that funds are effectively spent on physical care.

Li Liang-yu, a nurse at the private Li-Li Home-Based Long-Term Care Service Institution in Taipei, pointed out that currently, caregivers have Class C technician certificates. However, she believes there should be professional distinctions, introducing Class B certificates. Through advanced training, caregivers could perform services such as insulin injections and wound dressing changes, better meeting the needs of care recipients.

Lu Chien-te explained that future long-term care manpower will be divided into three categories: core physical care, non-core care companionship and visits, and foreign labor. The salaries for core and non-core work will be differentiated, and the latter will also adopt part-time calculations, hoping to introduce middle-aged and elderly individuals for re-employment. He also agreed that a tiered system for caregivers would help promote professional development.

Regarding foreign labor, Lu Chien-te indicated that a three-phase plan is being implemented. First, institutions and group homes will introduce intermediate-level manpower to fill night shift gaps. Second, research will be conducted on institutions or intermediary companies hiring intermediate-level technical manpower to be dispatched to households as substitute caregivers for critically ill families who employ foreign caregivers and need respite. Finally, research will be conducted on integrating the 230,000 foreign home caregivers into the long-term care workforce. Relevant plans will be actively discussed with the Ministry of Labor.

Regarding caregiver classification, Chu Chien-fang, director of the Long-Term Care Administration of the Ministry of Health and Welfare, said that the ministry originally planned to proceed with "downward classification" first, reducing payment points for non-core work or incorporating it into the welfare system to reserve financial resources for future upward classification. However, due to concerns from various parties about service fragmentation, public adaptation issues, and the fact that upward classification might involve medical and nursing scopes of practice such as suctioning, there is currently no consensus, and the plan has been temporarily shelved. (Editor: Su Lung-chi) 1150701

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