Introduction of Geriatric Medicine Center

    Population ageing is a global phenomenon and is associated with various challenges to every
country of the world. The proportion of the Taiwanese population aged over 65years was 7% in
1993 and will rise to 14% by 2019. This rate of societal ageing is only slightly slower than that of
 Japan, the most rapidly ageing country in the world. In our VAC system, the mean age of Veterans
we took care was more than 80 years old. So this is a very impressive care stress for us. The health
and social care system of our VAC included Veterans General Hospital, Veterans Hospital and
Veterans Homes, a special kind of long-term care facilities so that we have a nice chance to change
 or adjust our care system to meet the special population.

    In June 7th, 2004, our hospital set up a center for geriatric medicine, a mission team, composed
 with and crossed different department, like internal medicine, family medicine, rehabilitation
medicine, psychiatric medicine, social worker, dietician, pharmacist and nurse systems. The 1st
chief of geriatric medicine center was Dr. Lo, a chief in Neurology division. The geriatric medicine
 center cooperated with VAC system to develop the training and research of geriatric medicine and
 set up the special clinical service for older people.

    In January, 2008, we set up a new division of geriatric medicine and served the elderly frail
patients. Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital also launched a geriatrician training fellowship
program in 2008. We also start to run the geriatric training programs for the staff at government
 expense from the September, 2008. In the future, we wish to provide a complete and
comprehensive learning and teaching programs to cultivate many staffs with the special and
 comprehensive knowledge and skills for caring the older people.

    Tel: +886-7-3422121ext.2091
    Address: 386 Ta-Chung 1st RD, Kaohsiung, Taiwan 813 R.O.C