Health

Group Sees Promise in Tech as Aid for Caregivers to Older Adults

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By John Su/John Van Trieste

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The Garden of Hope Foundation sees promise in a range of new inventions that it believes could make the difficult profession of caring for senior citizens less of a burden.

Innovations for Elderly Care in Taiwan

REPORTER:  
From umbrellas that hold a cane inside to specially adapted wheelchairs and beds, there’s no shortage of inventions here at this display—all of them designed to help Taiwan’s rapidly growing number of older adults and the over 200,000 professional caretakers, most of them from overseas, who keep these seniors in good shape.

Chen Ta-li (VENDOR):  
From wheelchairs to walking aids  
you can choose different devices  
based on [seniors’] conditions  
as their physical abilities change  
over one, two or three months.

REPORTER:  
But caregiving is a tough line of work. One NGO, the Garden of Hope Foundation says research shows around 40% of workers in this field suffer physical or mental ailments linked to the job. And it’s not the only group concerned for their well-being.

Hsu Wen-chun (TAIWAN ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE ASSOC.):  
The medical side needs information from migrant workers  
who deal first-hand with senior citizens.  
[Migrant workers] also need looking after  
while they provide care. This is important.

REPORTER:  
The Garden of Hope Foundation sees promise in the array of new inventions Taiwan is coming up with to meet the challenge of an aging population—and it believes technology will eventually help make the difficulties Taiwan's caregivers face at least a little more manageable.