Although a survey on the circumstances of the elderly in Taiwan clearly indicated that most of the island's senior citizens live with their children, more and more are being compelled or are choosing to live on their own or in nursing homes. Of the nursing homes we visited, the Chung Kuang Building was obviously something special.
I Yang Garden (also known as the Chung Kuang Building), a private nursing home, is located in Taipei on Neihu's Wen-te Road in a formidable seven-story structure. Though the building in which it is housed looks like a high-class social club, it is, in fact, a small-scale nursing home "hidden" in the city.
Chung Kuang currently is home to some 20 elderly ladies and 10 elderly gentlemen, among whom there are three married couples.
We just happened to arrive at the time of one of the center's twice weekly karaoke sessions; seven or eight grandmothers and grandfathers were in the recreation room following along with the words on the TV screen. Some were holding microphones, singing and dancing, while others were clapping in time to the rhythm. All were enjoying themselves. Not only did they not feel the least bit embarrassed by the arrival of unexpected visitors, they enthusiastically welcomed us, inviting us to join them.
A close look at these senior citizens revealed that while they all were white-haired and as wrinkled as prunes, they were nonetheless sharply and neatly dressed. Most of the women, even the 86-year-old Mama Tsai, had carefully applied make-up to their faces and were wearing lipstick.
Escaping a sea of troubles
Why would someone choose to live in an "old folks home?" These senior citizens all have their reasons.
Mama Chu, who after having lived here for more than two years has lived in the center longer than any of its other current residents, has six children. Four of them live in the US, one lives in mainland China and one remains in Taiwan. Although her youngest son has stayed, he already has his green card and is also preparing to move to the US. The only reason he hasn't gone yet is that he is concerned about his mother.
Papa Chu passed away two years ago, and Mama Chu's son planned to take her to the US with him. But Mama Chu was unwilling. She says, "Medical care in the US is so expensive. Here [in Taiwan] we have national health insurance and seeing a doctor is easy."
The 83-year-old Mama Yeh, one of whose children is married to one of Mama Chu's children, says, "Most of my life is over. There's not much that worries me anymore." Mama Yeh has children in both the US and Taiwan, and for more than 10 years shuttled back and forth between the two places.
Chang Shu-min, an employee at Chung Kuang, says that once Mama Yeh's daughter took Mama Yeh home with her for what was originally supposed to have been 10 days. But it was only two days before Mama Yeh came scurrying back to the center. "My son has a wife and my daughter has in-laws. I felt more comfortable on my own," she says. At one time she also lived in a home for the elderly in the US, where she had US$400 per month in spending money. But there she had to cook all her meals for herself, something she thought was a lot of trouble. "It's better living here. I don't need to cook and I've got nothing to do but sing and play mahjong. It's pretty nice."
Everybody's OK
"I'm getting on in years. Living here, I have someone to take care of me," says Mama Chu. She says that her children have their own worries so it's hard for her to stay with them. Her son always manages to free up some time to visit her and take her out for a meal on Sundays, but he's always in a big hurry. On the other hand, her neighbors here seem like family and everyone's pretty close. "Last Friday, the center arranged for us to go out to Shuanghsi Park for a walk around. Everyone had such a good time," she says with a smile.
Although most of the elderly residents of Chung Kuang are active and happy, there are others who are not so upbeat.
Mama Wang, who says of herself that she and her children "have different views," relies on the strength of her religious faith to console herself over the death of her husband and her life alone at the center. "Having faith allows me be to be more accepting of circumstances and happier." And so Mama Wang, who is retired from the Air Force, attends church regularly twice a week.
The 86-year-old Mama Tsai is the only one of the center's residents to have been born in Taiwan. The language barrier that exists between her and the other residents, as well as her feeling that living in a nursing home is shameful, have left her less than completely happy with where she is, and it shows. Even if she attends a karaoke session, for example, she just stands off to one side clapping.
"At home, I used to help with the housework and look after my grandchildren. Here, I don't need to do anything. It's more relaxed." But although Mama Tsai's words are positive, her tone holds a note of futility. At one point, she can't keep herself from complaining: "My son and his wife don't want an old person around!"
Fading light
When the karaoke session finishes, there is still more than a half an hour until lunch, and we are invited to visit everyone's rooms to kill the time.
The single suites are about 9 ping (about 30 square meters) in size and each has air-conditioning, its own bathroom and small balcony. The rooms are all fully furnished with a refrigerator, TV, wardrobe and tea table.
To these basic furnishings the seniors add some personal belongings-the top of Mr. Yang's wardrobe is packed with bottles of Western liquor, for which he has a great affection; Mama Yang has a bowl full of goldfish she brought with her from home; Mama Chu has filled her balcony with plants*. And, of course, every room is filled with photographs. Some of these are shots of their whole families including all the kids and grandkids. Others are photos of trips taken with near and dear ones.
When we visit Mama Chu's room, we find she is an enthusiastic hostess. She insists that we have some fruit juice that she has pulled out of her refrigerator, while continually making self-deprecating remarks about what a terrible hostess she is.
Looking around her room, at her wooden carving of Maitreya, the "laughing Buddha," and her picture of Guanyin, you feel that these images are well suited to her own sunny and kind personality. Mama Chu says that she used to live together with Papa Chu in a double room, but when he passed away last year, she decided to move into this single. Since she doesn't play mahjong, she subscribes to a number of magazines, and when she is free, she tends to her flowers or reads.
Health + wealth = happiness in later years
Chung Kuang carefully prepares three meals a day for its elderly residents. Each meal consists of five dishes and a soup, carefully selected to ensure that the flavors complement one another. "The elderly prefer to eat mostly vegetables, but to meet their nutritional needs we also provide them with meat and fish dishes," says Li Ching-yan, director of the I Yang Garden. A measure of the care taken with the food can be seen with the soup, which is simmered one pot at a time. On the day we visited, it was a tasty siwu and chicken soup.
In addition to good food, the residents at Chung Kuang have round-the-clock care. If there is an emergency, the seniors need only press an alarm button in their rooms and someone will be there to help immediately. "We have to be especially careful from November to April of every year," says Li, noting that winter is the most dangerous time of year for the elderly.
The center's leisure facilities include a reading room, a recreation room and a mahjong room for its residents. Fully automatic washers and dryers are available free of charge.
Staying in this kind of private nursing home is not cheap. At Chung Kuang, for example, residents first pay a security deposit of NT$400,000-500,000, which is returned without interest when they leave. Then there is monthly rent of NT$20,000 for a single or NT$27,500 for a double. Board is another NT$5000 per month. And Chung Kuang's fees are just average. A typical senior citizen just doesn't have that kind of money, and it's more than just pocket change for their children, who are most likely trying to get ahead in the world and raising children of their own.
Fortunately, most of Chung Kuang's elderly residents have their own savings and pensions. Mama Chu, who is 85 this year, retired from the National Tax Administration 18 years ago. The monthly pension payment she receives from the government is enough to meet her needs.
Mr. Chen, a retired military man, also receives a monthly pension. This money is sufficient to cover what it costs him and his wife to stay at the center, and so they, too, have no problem making ends meet.
There are a few other residents who rely on their children's help to meet their expenses. The 83-year-old Mama Yeh is one such. Fortunately, she has six children who can divide the costs among themselves, so the burden on any one of them is not too heavy.
Not thinking about the future
The elderly residents of Chung Kuang have their down moments, too. Li Ching-yan says that when an elderly person sees the children of another resident come to visit, they can't help but miss their own children. They always wish that they could see their kids more often and sometimes they can't help but feel a little blue.
"But most of the people here don't let it bother them. They have no worries at Chung Kuang and they understand the situation that younger people are in," says Li, himself just over 60 years old and nearing "senior citizenship."
The real concern for the elderly at Chung Kuang is that their stay at the center is just a short stopover. No one dares say how long they will be able to live there.
This is because besides requiring a good deal of money, another condition of residency at the center is good health. And while health is probably the greatest concern of the elderly, it also an area of their life over which they can exercise but little control.
Those who are ill are not permitted to move into the center. And if the health of a person already resident takes a bad turn and he is left unable to look after himself, he will be asked to leave.
Where do you go when you leave a nursing home? Most don't dare think about this question.
"That's a problem for the future. I'll think about it then," says the ever-optimistic Mama Chu. Most of the other residents have a similar attitude.
Taking things day by day is the creed of the elderly. Most don't dare to think too much about their own future. Seemingly, even those with the money to live in a private nursing home are not different in this regard.
p.19
Even though their children all live in Taipei and they themselves are both in their 80s, Mr. and Mrs. Chen stubbornly insist on having their own lives. Their main reason for moving into Chung Kuang was to escape the tedium of cooking for themselves.
p.20
When you have nothing to do, play mahjong. Not only do you kill time, but in using your hands, your brain and your tongue, you protect yourself from senility.
p.21
Good nutrition is crucial for the elderly. Careful attention must be given to the hygenic preparation of balanced meals for them.
p.23
With today's longer life expectancies, the aged now have more time to mull over their memories.
(facing page) "After you leave tonight, when will you come again?"-Intoxicated by old songs such as this one, these seniors seem to have returned to the days of their youths.
Good nutrition is crucial for the elderly. Careful attention must be given to the hygienic preparation of balanced meals for them.
（facing page） "After you leave tonight, when will you come again?"--Intoxicated by old songs such as this one, these seniors seem to have returned to the days of their youths.
With today's longer life expectancies, the aged now have more time to mull over their memories.
@List.jpg?w=522&h=410&mode=crop&format=webp&quality=80)
@List.jpg?w=522&h=410&mode=crop&format=webp&quality=80)
@List.jpg?w=522&h=410&mode=crop&format=webp&quality=80)