An elderly married couple in Keelung’s Jhongjheng District have been living in a corrugated iron house that is potentially dangerous because it is too dark inside and the bathroom floor is wet and slippery. On Wednesday last week, volunteers from the Keelung City Skywalker Charity Association carrying a bathtub, cement and other materials climbed up the hill to repair the elderly couple’s house and make their indoor environment more accessible. The two seniors smiled happily when they saw how much safer and brighter their home had become.
Skywalker Charity Association chairman David Lee said that the 81-year-old gandfather, who suffers from Parkinson’s disease and possible dementia, is looked after by the 79-year old grandmother, and their daughter-in-law also visits and looks after them from time to time.
Apart from the wet, slippery floor and dim interior, the old couple’s corrugated iron house did not have any railings to lean on, and they have suffered occasional falls, but because vehicles cannot reach their house and they have a limited budget, it has been very hard for them to find anyone willing to work on the house. The Keelung City Long-Term Care Management Center cooperated with Skywalker volunteers to repair the elderly couple’s house.
Photo courtesy of the Keelung City Skywalker Charity Association 照片：基隆市天行者慈善協會提供
Eight Skywalker volunteers carried mechanical tools, cement, gravel and other materials under the blazing sun, but nobody complained about being tired. They fitted the elderly couple’s home with a new bathtub and water heater, installed more lights and a new kitchen sink, and also installed some fall-prevention equipment.
Skywalker Charity Association CEO expressed his gratitude to general managers Lee Run-yu of Tien Yang Engineering and Yin Chun-chi of Fu Chuang Co for taking part in this philanthropic activity to improve senior citizens’ living environment.
(Translated by Julian Clegg, Taipei Times)
Photo courtesy of the Keelung City Skywalker Charity Association 照片：基隆市天行者慈善協會提供
基隆市中正區一對老夫妻住在山坡上鐵皮屋，因室內燈光不足、浴室地面濕滑，潛在危險，基隆市天行者慈善協會志工上週三搬著浴缸、水泥等材料上山，為老夫妻修房子，改善屋內的無障礙環境，看著家裡更安全明亮，兩老開心笑了。
天行者慈善協會理事長李昌萬說，八十一歲的老爺爺患有帕金森氏症，並疑有失智症，由七十九歲的老奶奶照顧，兒媳不定時會返家照料。
除了地面濕滑、照明光線不足，爺奶住的鐵皮屋又沒有扶手欄杆，老人家曾經跌倒，但礙於車輛無法抵達及預算有限，很難找到願意施工的人，基隆市長期照顧管理中心和天行者的志工合作，幫爺奶修繕房子。
天行者八名志工頂著大太陽，人力搬運機具、水泥、沙石等材料，但沒人喊累。他們幫爺奶換上新浴缸、熱水器，再加裝燈具及新的水槽，還設置防跌設施。
天行者慈善協會執行長黃永翔說，很感謝典陽工程李潤宇總經理及富創企業社殷純驥總經理幫忙，共同參與公益關懷活動，讓老人家改善居住環境。
（自由時報記者盧賢秀）
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