Pingtung Releases Dementia-Friendly Environment Guidelines, Advancing Care from Experience to Precision

Pingtung, Taiwan (CNA) — Pingtung County, now a super-aging society with an estimated 13,800 people living with dementia, today released the "Dementia-Friendly Environment Care Guidelines." These guidelines focus on five key areas for care facilities, promoting a shift from experience-based care models to standardized ones.

The Pingtung County Government today held a press conference titled "Taiwan's First New Standard for Dementia Care: Pingtung Moves Towards Precision Care," where it unveiled the "Dementia-Friendly Environment Care Guidelines." The Pingtung Dementia Care Education and Research Center collaborated with Fooyin University to develop these guidelines for four major care settings: dementia community service centers, day care centers, group homes, and residential care institutions, aiming to transition care models from experience-driven to standardized and measurable management.

The county government noted that Pingtung County has officially entered a super-aging society. By the end of 2025, the population aged 65 and above is projected to exceed 170,000, with an estimated 13,800 individuals living with dementia.

Chen Kuei-Min, Director of the Pingtung County Long-Term Care Department, stated that the guidelines integrate local practical experience with academic research findings. They transform previous care methods, which relied on individual experience, into concrete, operable, and traceable standard tools. These tools assist frontline personnel in quickly identifying environmental problems and establishing modular improvement mechanisms.

Wu Chia-Chen, Associate Professor of Nursing at Fooyin University, explained that in the past, dementia-friendly environments often remained at the level of principled advocacy, with institutions lacking concrete implementation tools. These guidelines translate educational and research outcomes into clear indicators, covering five major aspects: safety, identifiability, comfort, stimulation, and operability. They also feature graded designs tailored to different stages of dementia, allowing care to move from concept to a concretely executable and evaluable management model.

Tsai Hsiu-Lan, Director of the Coconut Garden Senior Care Home, shared that after adjusting the environment according to the checklist, daily details significantly improved. They also made photo albums of family members into pillows, allowing elderly residents to embrace them when anxious, which effectively alleviated emotional anxiety. (Edited by Li Heng-Shan) 1150506

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