The House of Representatives set October 7 as the deadline for submitting indications to the bill.
A group of researchers from the Millenium Institute for Care Research (MICARE) shared their views on the bill that recognizes the right to care and creates the Care and Support National System, also known as “Chile Cuida”, in a meeting with advisors to the minister of Social Development and Family, Javiera Toro.
At the meeting, the experts valued the work of the government to create a law that recognizes the work of carers in Chile.
One of the main changes proposed was concerned to the concept of “person with dependency”, which they said, “leads to an alignment of the bill on a biomedical approach that has become obsolete in light of new human rights regulations”. The researchers proposed instead, to include the term “person who needs support and/or care”. This change would allow, among other things, to recognize people who require care as “subjects of law whose preferences, decision and will must be considered, respected and integrated into the decisions made”.
The researchers also pointed to the lack of a specific mention of the rights of the people who need support and/or care. According to the experts, there should be an explicit mention of their full legal capacity, right to be consulted and to participate without limitations in decisions that affect their personal and social life. It also emphasizes respect for their autonomy, ensuring that the principles of best interest and progressive autonomy are applied equitably, and guarantees their participation in decision-making about the support and care they receive.
The advisors welcomed the comments and expressed their intention to look for ways to accommodate them.
The period to submit indications ends on October 7, after which the Social Development Committee of the House of Representatives will vote the bill.
Read MICARE’s full comments HERE (in Spanish)
