Taipei: Deputy Health Minister Lue Jen-der announced on Thursday the government’s initiative, “long-term care 3.0,” which aims to integrate hospitals, community care providers, and home-based medical services to create a seamless care system for older adults.

According to Focus Taiwan, Lue, speaking at a meeting of the Presidential Office’s Healthy Taiwan Promotion Committee, highlighted that the current average wait time for long-term care services post-hospital discharge is now four days, a significant improvement from 51 days in 2017. The new 3.0 framework aims to reduce this wait time to two days by 2026 and eliminate it by 2030.

Under the proposed program, hospitals will assist patients in completing simple care plans prior to discharge and will facilitate connections with community-based providers. For individuals with medical needs, services will include home visits and family physician care, covered by the National Health Insurance system.

President Lai Ching-te, speaking at the same event, noted that Taiwan has entered a super-aged society, with citizens aged 65 or older comprising over 20 percent of the population. The “long-term care 3.0” initiative, set to launch next year, is designed to alleviate the increasing strain on the healthcare system.