Elderly care in Taiwan
May 27, 2025
Elderly care is a big topic. Come next year Singapore will attain its super aged status, with 20 percent of citizens aged 65 or older.
Some readers sent me questions after reading my last blog post “Overseas retirement – what you don’t know”. They are interested to know the possibilities of retiring in foreign countries. Most are researching for their own retirement plan. Some are finding options for elderly care for themselves or their family members.
An aging population in Taiwan
I have started going to Taiwan for business trips since 2002. After the pandemic, I flied there twice a year. I am very comfortable with the people, food, language and culture of Taiwan.
Last week, I traveled to Jiufen (九份) again to appreciate the sunset. To my surprise, I was no longer as fit as before. It was tough climbing up and down the stairs. After I clocked up 19,000 steps that day, I felt tired in the evening.
The next morning, when all the tourists were still sleeping, I met droves of local elderly coming for hiking. They were all energetic and fit physically. Perhaps I could train my fitness by hiking in Jiufen or Yangmingshan (阳明山) more often.
At the Jiufen Gold Museum, it was a nice surprise to see older volunteers crowded at every stopover. They even outnumbered the visitors. These enthusiastic volunteers were all enjoying the job of greeting and assisting visitors.
Taiwan is already a super aged society in 2025, a year ahead of Singapore. In 2024, Taiwan has the world’s lowest fertility... read more