Taipei, Aug. 31 (CNA) Presidential candidate Hou Yu-ih (???) of the opposition Kuomintang (KMT) pledged Thursday to revoke the regulation that requires a functionality assessment of senior citizens seeking to hire a foreign caregiver.
If elected, Hou said, he would remove that requirement, not only for Taiwan citizens 80 years old and over, but also for those in the 70-79 age bracket who are suffering from severe illnesses, including cancer that has advanced beyond Stage 1.
The plan is to remove the Barthel Index requirement for the aforementioned groups of people, he said at a press conference, referring to an assessment used in clinical practice and research to measure an individual’s ability to complete activities of daily living (ADL).
Currently, elderly and severely ill citizens in Taiwan are required to have that assessment if they wish to hire a foreign caregiver. Approval of the employment of a foreign caregiver is based on the ADL scores obtained for the citizen in 10 areas of the Barthel Index.
Hou, mayor of New Taipei and the main opposition party’s 2024 presidential candidate, said that if he is elected president, he will review the eligibility system and work out the best way to secure the services of foreign caregivers for individuals who require ADL assistance.
Many citizens who need help with ADL cannot afford to employ a caregiver in Taiwan, he said, noting that it costs less to hire a foreign caregiver.
The Barthel Index requirement has caused some controversy in Taiwan, Hou said, citing an incident earlier this year when a doctor was physically attacked by a patient’s relative, after the doctor declined to conduct an assessment of the elderly patient.
Since then, there has been some public debate about whether the Barthel Index requirement should be retained for citizens seeking to hire a foreign caregiver.
After Hou first mentioned the revocation idea briefly on Tuesday, Vice Labor Minister Chen Ming-jen (???) said the application procedure for the Barthel Index needed to be streamlined. This could include exempting previous applicants from reapplying, extending the validity period of the assessment, and simplifying the evaluation procedure, he told CNA.
While ADL evaluations should be maintained, Chen said, there should be some discussion on whether people of a certain age should automatically become eligible to employ a foreign caregiver.
At Thursday’s presser in New Taipei, Hou also promised to prioritize healthcare for women and children, push for a national “Mental Health Program,” expand the scope of cancer screenings, and enhance transparency in vaccine and medication procurement, if he is elected.
