The Taipei City Government yesterday urged senior citizens with a medium or low income who are living alone to apply for free devices that would allow them to summon help easily in case of an emergency.
Those eligible will receive a set of personal-response devices, including a main server for their home, fire and gas detectors and a waterproof help button that can be worn as a pendant or wristband, said Cheng Wen-huei (鄭文惠), an official at the Department of Social Affairs.
The help button activates the home unit, which is connected to the service’s monitoring center.
Officials at the center will immediately send personnel to assess the situation and provide assistance, he said.
MONITORING
The city government launched the measure four years ago.
Today, about 1,600 senior citizens in the city are covered by the 24-hour monitoring service, which is operated by the Taiwanese branch of the US company Lifeline System, Cheng said.
The company provides personal medical alert and emergency response services to seniors and the disabled.
The Taiwanese branch also works with local governments and medical institutions.
Cheng said the elderly can submit their applications to the department, adding that the fire department would help install the devices.
CONTACT
Once a month, social workers and medical care personnel from the social affairs department will visit senior citizens who are living alone and contact them by telephone once a week to evaluate their living conditions.
Starting in January, Cheng said, the city government will also give free wristbands to seniors with medium and low-income who are prone to get lost.
The wristbands can help police locate missing people.
UPGRADE: The Kang Ding-class frigate is replacing its Chaparall missiles with Tien Chien II and Hua Yang VLS, which would provide it with long-range, 360° air defense Taiwan plans to produce 1,200 to 1,376 Hai Chien II missiles (海劍二, Sea Sword II) — also known as TC-2N — to serve as the standard air defense system of the navy’s surface combatant fleet, a source said yesterday. Last week, the Hai Chien II, the naval version of the Tien Kung II missile (天劍二, Sky Sword II), completed a live-fire test in waters off the National Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology’s Jiupeng facility (九鵬) in Pingtung County’s Manjhou Township (滿州). The MIM72 Chaparral and other dated air defense missiles that currently arm Taiwanese ships have inadequate range to combat Chinese
REASONS FOR TRAVEL: An assistant professor said that proposed amendments to penalize drivers if they used drugs overseas would not deter people from traveling People who operate a motor vehicle under the influence of marijuana would have their driver’s license revoked, even if they used the substance while overseas, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said yesterday, citing proposed amendments to the Road Traffic Management and Penalty Act (道路交通管理處罰條例). The amendments would also authorize the government to revoke the licenses of people determined to have used Category 1 or Category 2 narcotics, even if they were not operating a vehicle while under the influence of drugs, as well as ban them from taking the license test for three years, the ministry said. People aged 18 or
HEAVY WEATHER: Typhoon Jangmi is due to crash straight into the Ryukyus as airlines look to shift flights to larger aircraft or cancel flights to Okinawa entirely Taiwan’s international air carriers announced flight adjustments over the weekend as Typhoon Jangmi is forecast to hit the Ryukyu Islands today and tomorrow. The Central Weather Administration (CWA) upgraded Jangmi from a tropical storm to a typhoon at 8am yesterday, with the eye located 580km south of Naha city. It was moving north at 19kph. Today, China Airlines’ CI-120, CI-121, CI-122 and CI-123 flights between Taoyuan and Naha, Okinawa, have been canceled as well as CI-132 and CI-133 between Kaohsiung and Naha. EVA Air’s BR-112, BR-113, BR-186 and BR-185 flights between Taoyuan and Naha are also canceled. Low-cost carrier Tigerair Taiwan canceled IT-230,
Johanne Liou (劉喬安), a Taiwanese woman who shot to unwanted fame during the Sunflower movement protests in 2014, returned to Taiwan last night after being deported from the US. She is to stand trial in Taiwan for charges involving embezzlement, fraud and drug crimes. The Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) said it took her into custody at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport and would first question her before transferring her to the New Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office. She was arrested upon disembarking a flight from San Francisco that landed shortly before 7pm. Liou absconded to the US in 2019 after jumping bail
RSS