Care for Elders
What Time Is It? Café
The prevalence rate of dementia among the local elderly over 65 is about 3.4%, meaning 1 person out of 12 has dementia. However, studies have found that the general public does not have a correct understanding and awareness of the disease. Coupled with the lack of services for dementia patients and their caregivers, it means that the prevention and care of dementia is an urgent issue.
PCSC has recognized that the aging society is an irreversible trend. Since 2014, it has been paying attention to the aging issues of ethnic groups with few resources for a long time, focusing on the high prevalence of dementia in an aging society. To this end, it works with the community charity through its wide bases, product ranges and services. Learning from the experience of Europe and Japan, PCSC began to collaborate with social welfare groups such as the Sisters of Our Lady of China Catholic Charity Social Welfare Foundation. The “What Time Is It?” Café initiative was launched in 2017 for elders with dementia to work as senior interns in the stores an hour every week. The store employees help them welcome, set up displays, accept payment and make coffee, turning convenience stores into safe venues for elders with dementia to rehabilitate through daily activities, as well as the best way to highlight the disease for the general public. It is expected that the “What Time Is It?” Café project can delay the deterioration of the symptoms for elderly with dementia, as well as enhancing the public’s awareness of the disease and personal health maintenance.
To address the gap in dementia care and daily rehabilitation under the impact of the pandemic in 2022, PCSC started from the concept of dementia-friendliness in everyday life with the target audience of store employees, elders with dementia and school children. Real-life and online resources were integrated to launch the “What Time Is It? Café O2O Experience,” “Oops! I Forgot” palm-sized picture book as the first of its kind in the retail industry, and “dementia-friendly in-store course” to continue to build the most dementia-friendly service local platform.
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Dog Therapy for the Elderly
According to statistics from the Ministry of the Interior, the aging index of Pingtung County in 2021 ranks among the top five in local area, showing that the planning of long-term care services is urgent. PCSC worked with long-term partner in public welfare, Pingtung Christian Hospital, to launch a new public welfare fundraising program called “Dog Therapy for the Elderly.” The program collaborates with the Professional Animal-Assisted Therapy Association of Taiwan for the first time to provide professional animal-assisted therapy for elders with dementia in 7-ELEVEN stores. The program started in Pingtung to create stores that allow professional assistance and therapy dogs.