Come to Changzhao Cafe to catch your breath.

The Republic of China Family caregiver Care Association cooperates with cafes to provide free "breathing coffee" for caregivers. Picture / newspaper department information photo

If one person in the family loses his health, one may have to act as a caregiver. About 73% of the caregivers in Taiwan are between the ages of 40 and 55. These people have children under the high hall, and their care and work burn at both ends. So that the brilliant middle-aged period, which had a successful career and family, broke the dike like quicksand. Experts say that families may have more than one choice of care, and caregivers can call the "Family caregiver Care consultation Hotline" 0800-507272 for support services.

Last year, the Family caregiver Care Association of the Republic of China conducted a "Family Care appearance Survey" for working people over the age of 35. A total of 913 valid samples were collected, of which 100 were currently taking care of disabled, mentally handicapped and physically and mentally handicapped families. Among them, 73% are between the ages of 40 and 55.

According to the household survey, 94% of them have asked for leave, and 24% have stayed without pay for an average of 5.6 years. Even if they return to work, they may still ask for leave frequently, fail to cooperate with overtime work, and find it difficult to concentrate on their work. Data from the Ministry of Labor also show that of Taiwan's 11.53 million working population, about 2.31 million are affected by the care of disabled and mentally handicapped families. Every year, about 178000 people "reduce working hours, ask for leave, or adjust flexibly because of care," and about 133000 people leave each year "because of care."

The caregiver woman gave up her job and the man swallowed tears.

Chen Jingning, general secretary of the family, said that 80% of Taiwan's total caregivers are women, because gender stereotypes give women more responsibility for family care, and the average salary of women in the workplace is lower than that of men. Women are more likely to give up their jobs as a result. On the other hand, because of traditional education, "male caregivers" are required to "swallow bitterness" and "men do not cry easily", so they are not used to asking for help.

Chen Jingning says that 30% of the caregivers have sleep problems, and more than 70% react to psychological stress, but what is most worrying is that some caregivers are unwilling to ask for help or talk about the pressure, and it is difficult for social resources to reach this group of people. This has also led to about 50 cases in which caregivers committed suicide or died together with the caregivers in Taiwan in the past five years.

A free cup in the cafe to raise money.

In order to encourage carers in more communities to come out bravely, with the support of Heku Life Insurance, since September last year, the family has successively worked with six small and medium-sized community cafes in Shuangbei, Hsinchu, Tainan and Kaohsiung, turning them into "care cafes". Provide caregivers free "respite coffee", and provide long-term photo information, breathing relief activities and support services, just like community photo intelligence stations.

Caregivers only need to go to these cafes and say to the clerk, "I am the family caregiver", leave information, and they can enjoy a drink for free. Relatives and friends can also enjoy a free drink, and each person is restricted to use it twice a month. Fund-raising will continue this year to set up more strongholds in community alleys.