Su Chiao-Hui Proposes Elder Care Policies at Aging Expo: AI for Dementia Screening and Residential Care Subsidy Increased to NT$240,000

Facing the arrival of an aging society, New Taipei mayoral candidate and legislator Su Chiao-Hui visited the '2026 3rd Aging Health Industry Expo' on the 8th, experiencing smart technologies, assistive devices, and health care products firsthand, and learning about the application of smart care technologies in medical institutions and facilities.

Su Chiao-Hui stated that the proportion of elderly residents in New Taipei City has already reached 20%. To address the needs of seniors regarding medical access, mobility, and care, the government must leverage AI and smart technologies to enhance care quality. If given the opportunity to serve as mayor, she will integrate government, medical, industrial, and academic resources to promote the development of the aging health industry, ensuring technology truly enters the lives of the elderly.

She emphasized that whether in urban or remote areas, the government has a responsibility to use new concepts and technologies to help seniors maintain health and delay aging. During the exhibition visit, she observed the Ministry of Economic Affairs showcasing innovative smart assistive devices to improve mobility for seniors; the Ministry of Agriculture promoting 'green care' and 'agricultural education' to create age-friendly environments; and private enterprises introducing smart emergency equipment, mobility aids, and AI fall detection technologies into daily care, demonstrating the diverse possibilities of integrating technology with elderly care.

She pointed out that if these technologies can be further connected with local governments, medical institutions, and community care systems, they can transform from 'standalone products' into comprehensive care services. If elected mayor, she will actively promote collaboration among industry, healthcare, and academia to introduce suitable smart care technologies into New Taipei's communities and long-term care settings, improving seniors' quality of life while creating local industries and employment opportunities, achieving a win-win-win for government, businesses, and citizens.

Su Chiao-Hui mentioned that she has already proposed her 'Six Major Welfare Policies' and 'Three Family Care Policies' earlier this year, with elderly care being a key component. In the future, in addition to promoting a maximum NT$50,000 subsidy for dentures and upgrading senior citizen cards, she will further introduce AI technology to make care for isolated seniors and dementia screening more intelligent, enhancing early detection and timely intervention capabilities.

Regarding long-term care services, Su proposed the concept of 'uninterrupted care after discharge,' eliminating the gap between home care and assistive device services after seniors leave the hospital, enabling faster and seamless access to home services and necessary assistive devices, reducing the stress and confusion family caregivers face post-discharge.

Additionally, to address the insufficient long-term care resources in remote areas of New Taipei, Su proposed increasing subsidies for residential long-term care institutions from the current NT$180,000 per year to NT$240,000 per year, alleviating the financial burden on seniors and their families, ensuring comprehensive long-term care support across all regions.

Su emphasized that elderly policies should not merely focus on 'care,' but also consider how to enable seniors to live healthily, with dignity, and with choices. Moving forward, she will start from the actual needs of the elderly, integrating government policies, medical services, technology industries, and academic research to build a complete ecosystem for the aging health industry, making New Taipei not only the city with the largest elderly population but also a livable city where seniors are willing to reside and age with peace of mind.