Anding District Office, Tainan City

When the Chinese New Year is coming, household after household take advantage of their free time to clean in and around their homes. However, some elderly people living in one-person households have health conditions or struggle to move about the house, making it impossible for them to tidy up their own homes. Because of this, Anding District Office decided to team up with the Ministry of the Interior’s National Inscription Agency on its 2017 Program for Having Substitute Civilian Servicemen Show Care for Elderly in One-person Households by Helping Clean Their Homes Before the Chinese New Year. This program took place from January 17 until the start of the Chinese New Year. The substitute civilian servicemen had scheduled times to go help tidy up homes, ensuring that elderly residents were able to happily celebrate the new year in a clean and organized home.  

Ms. Fang Huang was one of the elderly receiving help. She felt like the substitute civilian servicemen were her own children when they interacted with her. Watching them off to the side and smiling ear-to-ear, she was clearly in a cheerful mood, saying that she’s so happy that these men came to her house to help clean up before the Chinese New Year and that this has lifted her spirits. In addition to this, Anding District didn’t forget about the atmosphere of the Chinese New Year, as the office also prepared and then put up Chinese New Year couplets so that these households can say goodbye to the old and usher in the new with doors that effuse with the spirit of the new year and radiate with joy. The office also gave the elderly residents gift boxes so that before Chinese New Year they’ll be able to feel a sense of warmth and care that is beyond compare.       

Anding District Chief Liu Shih-Hsiung expressed that elderly people account for 13.65% of the district’s population, which is higher than the Tainan City average. Because of this, the district cannot be idle about carrying out undertakings that will assist and provide care for the elderly. This is why the district is now offering services that accompany elderly people to the hospital as well as deliver them meals, including dishes for Chinese New Year. He also said the district has taken the initiative to implement the Long-term Care 2.0 policy, so that aging residents can grow old in their hometowns while receiving care that is truly comprehensive. Although the substitute civilian servicemen house cleaning event that took place before Chinese New Year may be a rather ordinary household chore, the intense emotions of feeling cared for that these elderly people experienced is what’s important. With the feeling of warmth and happiness in their hearts, they too were able to share in the joy of the Chinese New Year.