Background in Taiwan Taiwan, like many other countries, is under pressure to develop effective policies in response to population aging. Trends of declining fertility rates and expanding lifespan together have contributed to the growth of the "gray population". The proportion of the population aged 65 years and over has doubled from 7% in 1993 to 14% in 2018. In addition, life expectancy has increased over the last 50 years to 77.5 and 84.0 years for men and women, respectively. 1) Although nearly 55.5% of Taiwan's older people live with their adult children, 2) the increasing proportion of women in the labor market and the declining ratio of those needing care to potential caregivers have raised questions regarding families' ability to care for the disabled older population. 3) Official projections show that the number of people in need of long-term care will increase from 577,457 in 2017 to 771,431 in 2026. 4) To respond to the rapidly growing need for care in these population, Taiwan is seeking a clear direction in which to adjust the development of long-term care. Small-scale long-term care plans run by local governments first The Taiwanese government has been facing severe challenges pressed by population ageing. The government started taking the issue of long-term care seriously since the first rotation of the political parties in 2000. However, early plans for long-term care were limited in terms of coverage. The Long-Term Care 2.0 Plan-a tax-funded, universal plan-was implemented in 2016. Soon after its implementation, the number of service organizations and the coverage of service increased sharply. This paper takes Taiwan as an example to discuss the designs of long-term care, and strategies to expand services. With many countries currently under pressure in long term care needs, Taiwan's experience could serve as a good example on how to achieve such policy goal within a short period of time. In addition, policy challenges for expanding long-term care are discussed.
In Western countries, the social security system provides the main source of income for the majority of older people. However, in many Asian countries, the family is still the most important mechanism for providing income security for older people. Arguably, the difference between Western and Asian countries is a result of cultural background and economic development. This paper examines these assumptions and suggests that cultural and economic factors are insufficient in explaining the difference between Western and Asian countries. Using Taiwan as a
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