Taichung hospitals launch green long-term care network and mark palliative-care decade

On February 18, staff and families from Taichung Tzu Chi Hospital visited the Tzu Chi Houli Environmental Assistive‑Device Center, Taiwan’s largest such facility. Over forty participants cleaned, maintained and sorted donated wheelchairs, beds, walkers and other devices, allowing the center to refurbish them for low‑income, home‑bound patients. The hospital aims to expand the service from hospital to homes, using the LINE platform for free, direct requests, creating a “green long‑term care” network that links hospital, community and patient homes.

On February 16, Taichung Veterans General Hospital’s Puli branch celebrated the tenth anniversary of its palliative‑care ward. The ceremony featured a life‑education music lecture by the Rose Grave band, a collaborative life‑tree painting, and speeches by hospital leaders and local officials. The event highlighted the ward’s whole‑person, whole‑family approach and its role in providing compassionate end‑of‑life care, supported by community organisations.