Geographic differences in social-welfare oriented institutional care for people with disabilities in Taiwan, 2002-2009

The present paper aims to provide information of long-term trend of distribution and utilization of institutional care resource for people with disabilities by different geographic areas in Taiwan. Data were analyzed using governmental reported general population by administrative area, population of persons with disabilities, and the profile of disability service institutions in Taiwan-Fuchien Area from 2002 to 2009. Results revealed that there were averagely 956,549 persons with disabilities and 15,172 institutional service beds (15.86 beds per 1000 persons with disabilities; range = 0-33‰) and the mean occupancy rate was 79% (area range: 36.26-92.09%). during the past 8 years. Many rural countries and off-shore islands have poorer disability service beds than other urban cities. The results also showed that the disability population (R² = 0.093, p < 0.001), institutional service beds (R² = 0.885, p = 0.001) and occupied service beds (R² = 0.917, p < 0.001) were significantly increased in curve tests during 2002-2009. However, the service beds per 1000 persons with disabilities and occupancy rate were not statistical change during the past 8 years. The study highlights the service authorities should focus on the uneven distribution problem of disability institutional care, particularly in rural countries and off-shore islands in Taiwan.