Supporting Disabled Individuals in Aging Crisis.

The year 2025 marks the 30th anniversary of the CAREUS Foundation. Over the past three decades, we have supported more than 10,176 families of individuals with intellectual disabilities across Taiwan and created 1,128 employment opportunities. What began as a single small bakery has transformed into Taiwan’s first social welfare organization to systematically promote sheltered employment—challenging long-held stereotypes and changing the narrative from “people with disabilities” to “children who are great at baking.”

But these same 30 years have also brought aging. The children we accompanied have grown older, and the challenges of retirement and elderly care are becoming increasingly urgent. We hope to raise public awareness about this group of aging adults with intellectual disabilities.

According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare (2025), Taiwan now has more than 100,000 individuals aged 45 or older with intellectual disabilities, autism, or multiple disabilities. This year, CAREUS surveyed over 200 families of currently employed adults with intellectual disabilities. The results showed that 64.9% of families hoped their loved ones could continue working even if they could no longer maintain full productivity—because work provides social participation, self-care skills, and pathways to developing meaningful abilities.

However, with age often come physical conditions, complications, and early-onset aging. As older adults experience declines in functional capacity that affect their work performance or motivation, they may face involuntary retirement. The impact extends far beyond the individual—affecting dual-aging households and Taiwan’s broader social structure.

The survey also revealed that 86% of adults felt anxious or lost about retirement and transition, and 91% of families were unaware of available services or how to plan for future living arrangements. More than half believed that post-retirement life would require significant caregiving support. Although policies such as Long-Term Care 2.0 and 3.0 exist, families still struggle due to uneven regional resources, transportation challenges, and varying service availability. For many, the dream of secure aging remains out of reach.

In response, the CAREUS Foundation is focusing on two key 30th-anniversary visions:
(1) The Second Curve of Employment
(2) Sustainable Smiles Care Base

Together, these aim to build a stable, diverse support system for the second half of life.

Parents’ deepest fear is simple yet universal:
“Where will my child go after retirement? And when I am no longer here, who will take care of them?”
This is why CAREUS has chosen to highlight the retirement needs of aging adults with intellectual disabilities as our 30th-anniversary focus.

To address this, the Foundation launched the Second Curve Employment Program, introducing case-management systems, a smart health platform, and standardized aging-assessment mechanisms. These tools help track physical and psychological changes, provide early alerts, and guide job redesign and transition planning.

To fulfill families’ hopes for an ideal care environment, CAREUS built “Swan Castle,” Taiwan’s first care institution aligned with the principles of social inclusion. It is more than a placement facility—it is a fully human-centered, community-integrated living space. With a volunteer transportation-companion system, participants can safely navigate the community; even if they miss a stop or get lost, support networks are ready to assist. Every outing becomes a chance for learning and independence. Long-term care services are further expanded to reduce family caregiving burdens and maintain quality of life.

We do not isolate aging adults behind closed walls. Instead, we create an open, warm, interconnected community where residents can continue interacting with neighbors and remain part of daily life. This is not the final chapter—it is a place where new possibilities can still unfold.

“There is no such thing as the best institution—only the most suitable one for each child.”
Resources may be limited, but our goal is to build a comprehensive support system that helps families move beyond living day-to-day and instead see a hopeful blueprint for the future—one where their children can age well and enjoy each moment of life. Yet this vision cannot be realized by a single foundation alone.

CAREUS calls on society and relevant agencies to pay greater attention to the retirement needs of adults with intellectual disabilities—from aging assessments and job redesign for older workers to retirement counseling, transition planning, and long-term care. In an aging society, we must work together to ensure meaningful engagement and proper support for all.

For 30 years, we have walked with these individuals through the first half of their lives. In the next 30 years, we hope to ensure that these once-bright young lives continue to shine—visible, supported, and valued.

On this 30th anniversary, the CAREUS Foundation invites all sectors of society to join us in building a future where aging adults with intellectual disabilities can enjoy sustainable smiles and enduring support.