U-Care for the elderly: Implemenation of a Comprehensive Living and Health Care Network

Taiwan started to be an ´aging society´ from 1993, and the aging process will progress more rapidly due to markedly decreased child birth in recent year. Facing very high old age dependency ratio as 1 to 2 in year 2030 which means every two working age persons (age 15 - 64 years) have to support one elderly people. That would be an enormous burden for every family and society. In this study a U-Care system was developed and implemented in a satellite city region of Taipei metropolitan area in Taiwan, to provide a comprehensive living and health care service network for the elderly. The u-Health research team of National Taiwan University and Hospital collaborate with Cardinal Tien Hospital Young-Ho Branch, 17 primary care doctors and two living care service provider partners to provide integrated and continuous services for elderly people in home, community and institutional setting.