A Taiwan study abroad program on aging, culture, and healthcare

ABSTRACT

This article introduces a Taiwan Study Abroad program on aging, culture, and healthcare. The program is a short-term academic summer program (6 credits) to bring U.S. students to Taiwan. During 2011 ~ 2015, a total of four groups including over 54 students and faculty members participated. This program partnered with multiple universities, hospitals, long-term care facilities, government agencies, and local communities. American and local Taiwanese students shared the joint classroom and immersed in reflective field experience. Six senior living and healthcare models (3 community-based and 3 facility-based models) are highlighted to showcase how culturally-tailored strategies and interdisciplinary aging care can be integrated in these aging facilities. This Taiwan Study Abroad Program has implications on teaching college and graduate students as global innovators via providing global perspectives and linkage towards gerontology curriculum and the emerging business markets in the aging society. Lessons learned from the Taiwan study abroad program can be applied to other cultural and countries on developing innovative educational gerontology study and practice models.

Acknowledgment

The program director is in debt of many colleagues and partners in the host country Taiwan. Without our heart-warming faculty and students from partnering host institutions, the Taiwan study abroad program wouldn’t have been possible. Special thanks go out to Drs. HH Wang, FH Chou, KM Chen, and many colleagues from College of Nursing at the Kaohsiung Medical University; Drs. LF Liu, FW Lu, & CM Chen from the National Cheng-Kung University; Dr. T. Kuo from the Department of Medical Sociology and Social Work at the Chung-Shan Medical University; Drs. HM Tsai, CY Han, & YC Hsiao from Chang-Gung University of Science & Technology; and Drs. CC Chan, TL Chiang, & SC Cheng from the College of Public Health at the National Taiwan University. In addition, special thanks go out to Taiwan’s government officials at the Department of Health and Welfare, Center for Diseases Control, and Health Promotion Administration. Our appreciation also goes out to our certified Tea specialist and floral arrangement specialist CY Hou and our host coordinators at partnering institutions who have helped with responding various program needs. The author would also like to acknowledge X Cao for her help with identifying relevant literature. There are many other partners who have devoted their time and love to host our American students and faculty throughout the various Taiwan trips that we are not be able to name each one.

Declaration of interest

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.