MOI officials said the amended law, which passed the Legislative Yuan a day earlier, has adopted many new concepts and preventive measures. The law, which was first promulgated in January 1980, has not been comprehensively revised over the past 10 years. They cited as examples that the amended law contains provisions that employers cannot discriminate against elderly employees and that the government can file for interdiction on behalf of the elderly to ensure property safety.

The government must also conduct a census on the living conditions of the elderly at least every five years and set up service facilities for the elderly, they said.

Noting that private nursing homes that do not take good care of the elderly can pose risks, the amended law also stipulates that such institutes have to sign written contracts with the elderly or their family members to clearly define their obligations in order to prevent later disputes, they said.

If nursing homes abuse their charges, withhold information on the abuse, provide an unsafe environment or unsanitary food, they will face fines of between NT$60,000 and NT$300,000 (US$1,830-US$ 9,150) and will be fined continuously if the situation is not improved.

If the nursing homes hurt or abandon the elderly, they will be fined between NT$30,000 and NT$150,000 and their names will be published, they said.

According to MOI statistics, the population of senior citizens in Taiwan had reached 2,287,029, or around 10 percent of the total population, as of the end of December.

According to an estimate by the Council for Economic Planning and Development, the ratio will have increased to 20 percent by 2026. The speed of the graying of Taiwan will be only second to Japan, making the revisions to the Senior Citizen’s Welfare Law necessary, the officials said.

Subscribe to The China Post and save.  Click hereSharePrintEmail

Write a Comment

Enter your comments - 800 characters max

Receive China Post promos

Respond to this email