[Sharing Perspectives on Home Healthcare].

The baby boom after World War II, coupled with the rapid advances in medical technology and public health, has led to the current rapid aging in the world's population. Countries in Asia are experiencing a faster rate of aging than most other countries around the world. Taiwan is expected to advance from an aged society to a super-aged society in the next 7~10 years. Consequently, the demand for long-term care is increasing. The focus of healthcare has changed from acute to chronic, from disease-oriented to function-oriented and from cure to care. Families, once the cornerstone of care, have become overwhelmed by the effects of the declining birthrate and aging. Encountering the public demand for a balance between healthcare and quality of life has led to the increasing role of home-based care in the medical system. The elderly-care profession is diverse and growing. The trend of transdisciplinary team which integrating care professions, nursing professions, family medicine, geriatric medicine, rehabilitation medicine, telemedicine, and medical aids with the resource of social welfare enables home health care services to better provide well-rounded medical care. Before end of life, hospice home care services increase the likelihood of dying at home in accordance with the patient's preference, easing the symptoms of terminal illness and reducing the sorrow experienced by family members. The single insurer model used by the National Health Insurance system will inevitably replace some hospital and institutional services with home health care services that more effectively and flexibly use medical resources and attenuate the increase in medical costs.