Mackay Hospital Day Care Center for Seniors takes elderly out on shopping excursion prior to Lunar N

["Taiwan Church News" <enews@pctpress.org>]

3127 Edition

January 30-February 5, 2012

Headline News

Mackay Hospital Day Care Center for Seniors takes elderly out on shopping 
excursion prior to Lunar New Year

Reported by Lin Yi-ying

Written by Lydia Ma

Though medical mission is a well-known ministry at Mackay Memorial Hospital 
(MMH), few people know that this Presbyterian hospital also ministers to 
marginalized groups in society through organizations such as Tatung District 
Senior Day Care Center, a city-owned social service organization run by MMH.

To give elderly people an opportunity to interact with the rest of society, 15 
volunteers from Tatung Center took 12 seniors to Dihua Street, a place in 
Taipei City known for selling large selections of Lunar New Year supplies, a 
few days before Lunar New Year. As result, these seniors enjoyed a rare 
opportunity to shop for New Year supplies, sample food from food stands, and 
have fun.

According to the event coordinator, Lin Yu-fang, these seniors presently live 
with their families. Their sons and daughters drive them to the center in the 
mornings before heading off to work and pick them up in the late afternoons on 
their way home from work. The center usually offers various classes and group 
activities during the day to keep seniors busy and motivated.

It is no small feat to take these seniors out to Dihua Street to shop. Not only 
does each senior need an accompanying volunteer to help them along as they 
walk, volunteers must also carry tissue papers, canteens, adult diapers, 
first-aid kits, and cookies or candies in case of accidents, falls, or low 
blood sugar levels. But in the end, the trip was a success and seniors enjoyed 
the opportunity to sample sweet soup, tofu pudding, and other goodies sold on 
Dihua Street.

According to one of Tatung Center’s supervisors, Hong Chia-en, MMH began 
operating this center in 1998. There are currently 35 seniors registered at the 
center and they are divided into 3 smaller groups with 1 assistant leading each 
group in daily activities such as morning exercise, chess games, knitting, 
drawing, and crafts. 

In addition to these classes, a family doctor from MMH visits Tatung Center at 
least twice a month to offer free medical check-ups. The center also schedules 
at least one outdoor activity per month to keep seniors physically active and 
boost their physical health.

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