Evaluating the level of Age-Friendly of Rural Areas in Taiwan
T.Y. Chao
Department of Urban Planning, National Cheng-Kung University, Assistant Professor
W.Y. Hsieh
1. Research motive and purpose
• Ageing trend in whole world• Studies in Taiwan identified a variety of issues that have been deeply discussed, but few has been evaluated in a comprehensive way.
• Ageing situation is more serious in country area
Research purpose
2. Definition of research
Elders will face different issues from different settlement (eg. urban, rural, fishing village, etc.). According to literature reviews, this study conclude the characteristics of “rural area” as follows:
(1) Mainly agricultural use. (2) Plain rural areas
(3) Poor links with urban areas
3. Literature Review
Separate to two parts:3.1.Reviewing the differences between the elders physical and mental health, living style and living environment in different areas.
3.2.Reviewing the Age-Friendly Rural and Remote Communities: A Guide, and refer to the characteristics of elders in Taiwan’s rural area
physical and mental health living environment living style
Reflect the individual differences with the different quality of life in the same environment.
reflect the quality of life will change as in different exterior environment No. of diseases/ physical function/ self-rated health/ cognitive function family structure/ interpersonal relationships/ financial resources/ job profile/ leisure activities/ the use of technology
housing/ transportation/
4.Research Method
4.1.Study Area
Elderly population: 190 people (in March,2012) Jinsha Village Percentage of elderly population: 20%
Senior citizens living alone: about 20 people
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Taiwan Tainan City Shigang District
4.Research Method
4.1.Study Area• This study choose one settlement that is further from the care center.
• Interviewees are 2 women and 4 men, and one of them is living alone
4.Research Method
4.2. In-depth interview
Take the Canadian 8 domains of “Age-Friendly Rural and Remote
Communities: A Guide” as base, adjusting by the state of Taiwan through the literature reviews to acquaint the comparing items about the
difference between urban and rural areas for elders in Taiwan, drafting the content of in-depth interview
Literature Review The differences between the elderly living in urban
and rural areas in Taiwan Canadian“Age-Friendly
4.Research Method
4.3.the analysis of basic information
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interviewee 1 2 3 4 5 6 phenomenon
Gender female male Male(live alone) female male male -
age 67 70 80 79 65 77 -
vision
Presbyopia good ok bad good bad Having bad and good
hearing good good good good good
Bad (has no hearing aid) Hearing is general good
ability to act good good good good good Good ability to act is
general good
other chronic none none
High blood
pressure none none None
Most of them have small sickness, less have chronic,
4.Research Method
4.4. the analysis of interviewing information
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8 domains of ageing
friendly The content of interview The results
Outdoor Spaces and
Buildings • What are your main purpose when you go out? • What is your main manner to go out?
Mostly elders go out for farming, and by bicycle or motorcycle
Transportation - -
Housing - -
Respect and Social
Inclusion • Whether do you often go out for chatting with neighborhood or exercising in park or play chess…
• Do you think the young respect elders?
Most elders think that the young generation are getting more unconcerned with neighborhoods. According to this , we can conjecture that elders value the interactions with their neighbor thus the situation of social exclusion is rare
Social Participation • How often do you attend activity held by community?
• What will be the reasons that you do not attend these activity?
Most elders will attend the community activities, but the frequency is uncertain. The reason for not
attending activities is usually “having no
information”, secondly, “having no time due to
busy farming” Communication and Information - - Civic Participation and Employment Opportunities
• Are you still working? What is your job? Why you still do so?
Most elders still go out for farming, indicating farming consumed time and they have no time to do other activities. Besides, they earned very slight money to support their live
Community Support
4.4. the analysis of interviewing information
• In the process of interview, elders do not have much complaint about the quality of life.
• Most of them think that they have already got used to the environment. The elder only complain about the complicated and tiring process of farming.
• They point out that the government should emphasize on subsidies to improve the quality of life.
5. Conclusion
According to the literate review and in-depth interview, this study build a initial step of evaluating criteria, taking as reference regarding to the
development of ageing in Taiwan rural areas.
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8 domains of ageing
friendly reason Criteria of evaluating
Outdoor Spaces and
Buildings Elders often go back and forth between home and farm.. The level of ageing friendly in farm road, including the width of road, the rise and fall of road Transportation Rural area is lack of public
transportation, and the farming road is narrow, thus mostly riding motorcycle
The safety, comfortable, and inclusion of motorcycle
Housing - -
Respect and Social
Inclusion - -
Social Participation Community activities usually centralized in care center, and local temple, big banyan…
The distance from activity places to house, and the advertisement of activities
Communication and
Information - -
Civic Participation and Employment
Opportunities
Most elders still go out for farming, indicating that farming is time-consuming and they have no time for other activities. Besides, they earned very slight money to support their lives
The kinds of work which meet the physical strength of the elderly; degree of assistance for work
Community Support and Health Services
Some settlements are far from the care center, especially dangerous for the elders living alone.
5. Conclusion
This study focuses on the evaluation criteria in Jinsha Village.
This criteria follows the 8 domains defined by WHO to check the elderly living environment, so that it can be inspected in a comprehensive way. This criteria can also be applied to rural areas with the same definition, which make the places to adjust its optimal ageing-friendly indicators (according to/with) its characteristics.