Mustard Seed Mission provides first-rate living conditions for retirees

Hualian resident, grandmother Que Su-lian (闕素蓮) and her husband have been coming to the Mustard Seed Mission (芥菜種會) for a year and a half, and this year her husband became a volunteer at the mission. The Mustard Seed Mission, which has been operating a daycare center for the last five years, strives to provide care to elderly Hualian residents over the age of sixty-five.

In 1981, after the Christian-based Mustard Seed Mission opened a nursing school in Hualien, elderly local residents gradually began to enjoy proper nursing services, providing elderly residents without a family, a place to spend their twilight years in peace. Unfortunately, due to space limitations, bed availability was extremely restricted and so the mission began to develop an elderly daycare center and meal-delivery service. Participants at the mission’s elderly learning club and the daycare center have gradually increased, many of who are in extremely good health. Each week, staff at the daycare center prepares a range of activities aimed at improving the lives of elderly participants.

In addition, as health factors prevent some elderly from participating in activities at the daycare center and elderly learning club, volunteers are required to help in providing medical care, as well as assist in their daily living requirements. Mustard Seed Mission sends these indispensible volunteers to provide regular care, and from Monday to Friday, also operates a meal-delivery service. In order to solve the problem of insufficient volunteer numbers, the mission trains healthy elderly participants to become volunteers. These volunteers are encouraged to share their unique life experience and expertise with other seniors, and take care of those elderly who are disabled or living alone.

PeoPo 公民新聞 by 輔大生命力新聞

Mustard Seed Mission provides first-rate living conditions for retirees

URL:http://www.peopo.org/news/110821

(以下是中文對照)

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芥菜種會 打造美好退休生活

住在花蓮市中心的闕素蓮奶奶來到芥菜種會的老人日托站已經有一年半的時間，他跟丈夫都是這邊的長期參與者，她的丈夫更在今年成為了芥菜種會的志工。芥菜種會辦理老人日托中心將近五年，希望照顧陪伴花蓮地區六十五歲以上的長輩。

一九七〇年代基督教界菜種會在花蓮的園區是護理學校，漸漸的開始有了安養的服務，讓沒有家庭的老人家能夠在園區安心地度過晚年，並且享有較完善的醫療照護。但是因為空間有限，並沒有辦法提供太多的床位給太多需要的長輩，使得服務對象受到限制。後來開始發展老人日托站以及送餐服務，長青學院跟日托站的學員也越來越多，參加這些日間活動的長輩，多數身體都還非常健康。日托站的工作人員每週都會準備多元課程與活動提供長輩們作為生活中的調劑。

此外有些長輩因為健康因素，不方便參加日托站及長青學院的課程，並且需要志工陪伴就醫、協助生活起居等等，芥菜種會也定期派制供協助就醫，並且在周一到週五提供送餐的服務。為了解決志工人數不足的問題，芥菜種會也培養健康的長輩成為會內的志工，運用每一位長輩不一樣的生命經驗，和不一樣的專長與其他長輩交流，也照顧獨居或失能的長輩。

為擴大服務範圍，自2010年4月起，PeoPo每周精選三則公民報導及相關活動與發展，翻譯成英文摘要，讓更多關心台灣公民新聞的朋友，瞭解台灣在地大小事。