Public Policy

Work To Keep Experienced Senior Caregivers on the Job

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By Eason Chen/John Van Trieste

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Taiwan is drawing up ideas about how to keep senior caregivers in the profession as one study warns it could face a 30% shortage of these social workers in just a few years.

Social worker Huang Yung-en is busy this afternoon helping run an event for older adults at a local senior center. Planning events like this is a part of the job... but just one small part. Every day, workers like him who care for Taiwan’s rapidly aging population are swamped with welfare checkups, visits and sending meals to those who can’t feed themselves. Many social workers have a case load of over a hundred people... some involving complicated situations.

HUAN YUNG-EN, SOCIAL WORK DIRECTOR:
"Many older people live alone have problems with their excrement or are in hoarding situations. This can lead some neighbors to ostracize them. But we don’t have the resources to help them. All we can do is support their most basic needs."

Faced with heavy workloads, the burnout is real, and many caregivers just quit. With a fifth of Taiwan’s people already 65 or older, the need for care is only going to grow. A National Health Research Institute study finds Taiwan could have a 30% shortage of caregivers by 2034. That has spurred a search for a way to fill this gap. For some, the answer lies in doing more to shield the most experienced caregivers and keep them in the profession.

CHANG CHIA-FANG, HOSPICE FOUNDATION OF TAIWAN:
"The pay gap between experienced workers and newcomers should be widened because social work is a job that relies a lot on built up experience."

They hope to set up a more robust and standardized system for certifying caregivers. They'd like to keep retired caregivers on as supervisors and mentors to those entering the field, passing their experience down. The government is considering its options.

VOICE OF YANG YA-LAN, HEALTH MINISTRY:
"We are looking into improving risk allowances for social workers and a mechanism for career progression based on years of service. This will lead to professionalism years of service and risks involved in work to be reasonably reflected in pay."

How well the resulting system works will determine how well Taiwan can respond to a social need that’s been building for years — and doesn’t have an end in sight.

Eason Chen and John Van Trieste for TaiwanPlus.