Taiwan lawmakers to review dementia care bills

Lawmakers will review three draft dementia care bills as Taiwan faces growing care needs from an aging population.

The legislature’s Social Welfare and Environmental Hygiene Committee will review proposals from KMT, TPP, and DPP. All three proposals seek to put dementia care under a national policy framework.

The drafts call for a task force led by the premier to coordinate dementia policy across government agencies. They also require long-term plans for dementia care, social services, research, and funding.

All three bills call for better access to medical and care services, early detection, early support, better data collection, more research, and steady government funding. They also seek to protect the rights of people with dementia by helping them make decisions about care, finances, and daily life.

Reporters reported that the KMT version focuses on people who develop dementia before age 65, including job support, workplace adjustments, career transition help, and labor rights protections. The DPP's version covers people with mild cognitive problems and would provide legal assistance to people with dementia during investigations and court proceedings.

All three draft bills call for a more dementia-friendly society. They seek to improve public understanding of dementia and reduce discrimination.

The KMT version calls for removing barriers in housing, transport, and financial services. The DPP's version would require banks, shops, and other basic service providers to help those with dementia.

The TPP version adds public transport operators to the list of service providers required to offer help. It is also the only version that calls for a dedicated NT$10 billion (US$333 million) dementia care fund over five years.

The three proposals all say the government should provide enough money to implement the policy. Lawmakers are expected to discuss how the country can better support people with dementia and their families.