There is a huge gap in dementia resources among counties and cities. Shi Chongliang: Improvement in the 4 directions of the action plan

Taiwan is facing the threat of super-aging and the population with dementia is also increasing year by year. The Taiwan Dementia Association is worried that there is currently a significant gap in dementia diagnosis and care resources among counties and cities. In this regard, Minister of Health and Welfare Shi Chongliang said that although the dementia care resources, promotion process, and degree of aging vary among counties and cities, the Ministry of Health and Welfare will cooperate with inter-ministerial committees through the four major directions of the action plan to jointly promote measures related to dementia patients.

The Taiwan Dementia Association pointed out that there are significant differences in the size of the dementia population and the ratio of diagnostic care services faced by counties and cities. Areas with relatively low diagnostic care service ratios should further examine early identification, medical guidance, service accessibility, resource capacity and actual family use experience to identify service gaps and propose improvement measures.

Shi Chongliang said that the Ministry of Health and Welfare will promote the "Dementia Prevention and Care Policy Framework and Action Plan 3.0" starting from 2026, including four directions: accurate diagnosis and treatment, daily care, prevention and protection of the rights and interests of people with dementia. It also proposed to achieve the goal of "Dementia Friendly Taiwan 888" by 2035, including the rate of accurate diagnosis of dementia, the coverage rate of dementia services, and the dementia literacy rate of personnel in specific institutions or fields reaching 80%.

Regarding accurate diagnosis and treatment, Shi Chongliang pointed out that the development of drugs for the treatment of dementia is the future trend. However, in the past, most dementia relied on clinical symptom judgment, and the diagnosis of the cause was not so accurate. In the future, he hopes to help patients control the disease through accurate diagnosis and accurate treatment, coupled with corresponding payment plans.

Shi Chongliang also mentioned that the government has expanded care for patients with dementia. Long-term care 3.0 has included young patients with dementia as service targets and provided necessary assistance based on grading. In the future, it will continue to expand capacity such as group homes and small-scale multi-functional services (small-scale machines).

In addition, Shi Chongliang said that in the future, the Ministry of Health and Welfare will also promote "social prescription" through policies such as health coins, and combine it with the policies of the Ministry of Sports, the Ministry of Culture, and the Ministry of Education to prevent or delay the progression of dementia. It will also protect the rights and interests of people with dementia through cross-ministerial cooperation and provide comprehensive protection for patients with dementia.