Taiwan a happy place for seniors to live: President TsaiTaiwan a happy place for seniors to live: President Tsai

President Tsai Ing-wen (???) said on Friday that the government's "long-term care program 2.0," which is to be officially launched in 2017, after a trial run that started in November, will make Taiwan a country where seniors can enjoy their later years.

With Taiwan increasingly becoming an aged society, taking care of seniors is one of the government's most important jobs, Tsai said while attending a plaque unveiling ceremony at a long-term care center in Chiayi County, which has the highest percentage of elderly population in Taiwan.

Starting next year, Taiwan's long-term care program will be upgraded from "version 1.0" to "version 2.0," in which the types of services provided will be expanded from eight to 17 and categories of care receivers from four to eight, she said.

The goal of the "long-term care program 2.0" is to integrate existing care institutions and create a comprehensive and affordable network of localized services, she said.

Taiwan will show the world that it knows how to take care of the elderly and how to ensure seniors enjoy a happy life, she added.

Under the Ministry of Health and Welfare's plan, long-term care services are divided into three tiers.

Tier A, or flagship centers will require the establishment of one center in every township, village and city.

Tier B centers will be like big specialty stores and the goal is to have one in every junior high school district across the country.

Tier C centers will be like grocery stores, with one center in every three wards, optimizing the provision of services.

Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel