In order to give full play to the spirit of caring, fulfill the social responsibility practice of the university, and assist the community to develop in a sustainable manner, Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology was the first in the country to form a service team composed of six universities and a cross-professional business. In the remote areas of Syuejia District, the team care for elders in the communities and evaluated their health, receiving great responses from the elders.
【Members of the Service team were having aromatherapy treatment for the elders in Jigong community.】
Jian-Zhang Li, head of Jigong community, has always attached great importance to the health of the senior residents of the community as the well-being the community life. In view of the aging population of the community and its inferior medical resources and inconvenient transportation, he worked assiduously with Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology, hoping to create a common goal and jointly build a friendly community for senior residents. The team is now implementing the 2017 Ministry of Education's subsidy for the University's Social Responsibility B-Type Pilot Project, trying to substantiate the cumulative amount of experience in field practice. Moreover, through the 2018 Ministry of Education's University Social Responsibility C Category Project—“Young and Old Working Together to Create A Local Friendly Community Funding Program”— the team can work on the deep-rooted project and continue to be have a whole-person care for, ageing people with multiple service. As a planning principle for elderly care services, it will continue to help promote the service measures of the elderly community.
【The elders of Jigang community are taking blood pressure and blood oxygen tests; very satisfied with the service, they praised the team a lot.】
The service this time were expanded to the remote village-type housing areas of the district, and the team worked together with the community to achieve the goal of supporting the senior welfare workers, developing senior community care and strengthening the chain of industry and education to promote community health. The goal of this sustainable development will be to create a friendly and elderly community with local recognition, to help the healthy development of the elderly communities in the rural areas, and to give health care to the elders in the rural areas. The on-site activities of nearly 3 hours included nutritional assessments, physical fitness, vision testing, bone density testing, blood pressure testing, blood lipids testing, blood sugar testing, depression assessments, oral health assessments and consultation with physicians and pharmacist, etc. All these are diverse but close to the elderly, followed by non-general medical treatment. Many community elders responded enthusiastically, and the elders involved in the event gave great compliments to the health care assessment service.
【Jigang Community Health and Medical Service Evaluation Activities: elders were accompanied by team members as they took vision testing.】
Chairman Mei-Zhu Chen of the Bachelor Program of Service for Senior Citizens, Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology, said that the health maintenance of the elderly is an important issue for health care. It is an interdisciplinary for teachers and students to jointly plan health care assessments, understand key demands, and strive to improve the health of the elderly. It is a very important task to safeguard the medical dignity of the elderly and encourage the elderly and their families to participate in the activities, screen out high-risk cases of senile illnesses, and conduct further treatments.
【Jigong Community Health and Medical Service Evaluation Activities: elders were taking bone density examination.】
On the day of the Innovative Health Care Service Evaluation Campaign, Chong-Shuan Tsai, who teaches in Shiaogong Elementary School, brought his students there to help the elders take the essential oil massage service. Mrs. Jin-Rong Guo, the community head’s wife, also brought her community service team to help guide the community elders to participate in the health care service evaluation activities, which was highly praised and affirmed by the elders.
【Mrs. Li, the community head’s wife (first from left), and some members of the voluntary community service team】
As President Deng-maw Lu of Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology said, Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology has always attached great importance to the implementation of university social responsibility. It has incorporated "satisfying social responsibility" into the main axis of school development. In response to the arrival of Taiwan's aging society, "working together to build a good old-aged community" is one of the local responsibilities that Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology attaches great importance to. The school is willing to be the leader and cooperate with the Ministry of Education in its implementation and promotion of the USR plan. The cooperation of enterprises will bring into play the benefits of resource integration and turn Tainan City into an friendly city for the elderly. Chairman Mei-Zhu Chen cooperated with the teachers and students of the five partner universities to form a planning and execution team, including Shu-Zen Junior College of Medicine and Management, Chung Hwa University of Medical Technology. Tainan University of Applied Sciences, Kunshan University of Science and Technology, and Far Eastern University of Science and Technology. The plan also integrated industry and education together. Ledo Business Co., Ltd., Yushang Co., Ltd., Ji'an Hospital, Taiwan Senior Care and Education Association, Chengda Senior Care Center, and many others. A number of professional medical service personnel have contributed to forming the medical and nursing resources and have exerted the spirit of social enterprises to perform for the elderly in the (remote) community with poor medical resources.
【Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology formed a team composed of teachers and students from 6 universities to practice university social responsibilities with a cross-domain integration, making contribution to the health care of the elders in Jigang community of Syuejia District.】
【Opening ceremony for the Health and Medical Service Evaluation Activities held in Jigang Community of Syuejia District.】