Love is food Love Train cares for elderly people living alone

The Department of Health's love train for caring for elderly people living alone in government hospitals was officially launched on the 21st. In addition to adopting and delivering meals and conducting nutritional assessments for vulnerable elderly people living alone in the jurisdiction, the public medical system also leverages the public medical care spirit to care for the disadvantaged, protect the people, and promote medical care to the community, providing community residents with more timely and comprehensive services.

Yu Peiyu, director of the Social Service Office of Taoyuan Public Hospital, pointed out that public hospitals across the province are connected. In addition to cooperating with foundations to adopt and deliver meals to elderly people in marginal households, they also provide home nutrition assessments and home meal preparation services for elderly people living alone who have already received meal delivery services from the social welfare system. The purpose is to enable elderly people living alone to eat more balanced and healthier meals.

For example, the meal delivery service of the Department of Health's Taoyuan Hospital designs appropriate meals based on the individual nutritional needs of elderly people living alone to maintain their dietary health. Grandpa Zhang, who received the meal delivery, said that the hospital's care made him feel very warm. The village head said that Grandpa Zhang is 82 years old, unmarried, and has no children. He makes a living by recycling resources. Although his life is difficult, he is a caring person and will kindly adopt stray dogs.

In addition, Taichung Hospital and Fengyuan Hospital have combined private charitable groups, foundations, village chiefs and hospital volunteers to go deep into the community to provide home care, meal and material delivery, and health promotion and health education consultation services to elderly people living alone, all of which are aimed at providing a better quality of life for vulnerable elderly people living alone in neighboring areas.

In addition, Caotun Nursing Home provides home care and caring visit services to elderly people with mental disorders, low mood, depression or dementia who are referred by the Health Bureau or institutions or discovered in outpatient clinics. For elderly people living alone, daily necessities are provided as needed, and nutritionists are invited to provide nutritional assessments, and nutritional supplements such as ANSUL are provided during monthly home visits.

Director Yu Pei-yu emphasized that as of the end of April this year, the Department of Health's hospitals have paid care visits to a total of 2,810 elderly people living alone, delivered meals and supplies to 13,194 people, provided home services to 7,412 elderly people living alone, and made phone calls to greet and accompany 8,485 elderly people to medical treatment. The public can also inquire about nearby departmental hospitals to learn about services for elderly people living alone. We also welcome caring people to donate money or effort to board this caring train that serves elderly people living alone and follow the train conductor to embark on this long journey of service.