Taipei City Government

With just a few days before the Dragon Boat Festival, Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je attended an event which highlighted care for seniors who live alone.
 
According to Ko, the number of individuals ages 65 and above in Taipei City has reached 4,450,000. They account for 16.58% of the city’s population, and the ratio is expected to exceed 20% by 2021—a threshold for becoming a super-aged society.
 
The mayor indicated that the city government is working on creating an elderly care system that is meant to last and provide comprehensive resources. To achieve this, the collaboration between both public and private sectors will be necessary. He recalled his visits to several public elderly day care facilities and pledged that more care centers will be established to accommodate the needs of senior citizens – especially those needing special care.
 
Ko said Department of Social Welfare and Department of Health have jointly rolled out a slew of services targeting the senior population, which include in-home care, in-home pharmacy, in-home nursing, and household task assistance. Each of the City’s 12 administrative districts has respectively one location in charge of the services.
 
The City also offers subsidies to low and middle income households who wish to make their homes safer. The mayor pointed out that those who wish to reduce the risk of tripping over thresholds or falling in bathrooms may take advantage of the program.
 
The mayor encourages senior residents to adopt a mobile lifestyle for quality living, adding that they can utilize their senior citizen cards to that end. As for whether the scope of applications of the senior citizen card should include long term care service for those with limited mobility, Ko said responsible agencies are still contemplating the possibilities.