Exploring Female Caregiver’s Needs: A Study of Long-Term Care Resource Center in Kaohsiung City

• Main Authors: Pin- Chiao Wang, 王品喬
• Other Authors: Yeun-Wen Ku
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2008
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/87773581527334617464

碩士 === 國立暨南國際大學 === 社會政策與社會工作學系 === 97 === Abstract Due to changes in family structure and female employment increase, it is difficult for the family alone to take the full responsibility of caring disable elderly and also the burden to the government will be getting bigger and bigger. Care is naturally as ‘the service which one kind loves’, especially those who family caregivers are nearly held by the female. Taiwan family caregivers’ present situation in fact responds the suitable degree of the caregiver feminization. Therefore the initiation of this study would like consider, from the angle of female caregivers, the policy for long-term care, especially on whether it can meet female caregivers’ needs. However, based on differences in degree of disability for the cared and family economic status, this study also would like to understand whether such differences influence female caregivers’ satisfaction to long-term care services in Taiwan. In short, the main purpose of this study is to understand the real situation of long-term care services in Taiwan and its impacts on female caregivers, by which we may propose related suggestions for service reform in the future. Deep and rich information is necessary for achieving these purposes. This study adopts qualitative research strategy to collect data by in-depth interview. Totally ten family female caregivers are selected to join this study with their conditions in moderate and severe disability, as well as their economic status of general, middle-low income, and low income. The main findings are as follows: 1. Family female caregivers’ needs to long-term care services: economic assistance is the most concerned issue with female caregivers, and the medical burden is increasing with the disability degree because of ageing or illness; also, there are high demands for residential and respite services, which are critical important for relieving physical and mental burden of female caregivers. 2. Satisfaction to long-term care services: the family female caregivers affirm the importance of long-term care services, and, especially, the helps offered by the Long-Term Care Resource Center in its regular reevaluation and adjustment of services necessary to the cared, respecting to service items, hour and frequency. 3. Female caregivers’ view on long-term care services: instead of cared by their own families, female caregivers hold rather positive attitude towards long-term service reform that demonstrates more public responsibility in the provision of elderly welfare.