Taitung Candidate Chen Ying Pledges Free Dentures, Hearing Aids and Smart Bracelets for Older People

Chen Ying has opened her Taitung County chief campaign with a package of proposed benefits for older residents: free dentures, hearing aids and smart bracelets.

The Democratic Progressive Party candidate said the measures would apply to Indigenous and non-Indigenous older people and would not exclude residents based on income. She presented the policies on Aug. 31 alongside Taitung City chief candidate Weng Sheng-hui and other party candidates and older residents.

Denture assistance would reach NT$40,000, with the possibility of further increases after a review of the county’s finances. Chen also proposed a mobile service vehicle to provide dental consultations, citing the county’s long, narrow geography and the difficulty some rural older people face when traveling for care.

The hearing-aid plan forms part of the broader subsidy package. Chen said it would help reduce risks linked to hearing loss, including falls. The smart bracelets would include GPS positioning and monitoring for heart rate and breathing, allowing relatives abroad to keep track of family members.

Chen said similar systems had been piloted in Fengbin in Hualien County and in Taitung’s Changbin and Chenggong areas. One bracelet alert reportedly helped rescue an older woman who had fallen in a bathroom and could not move. Weng, a former social worker, said dentures affect more than eating because they also influence digestion and overall health, while hearing aids can help prevent social withdrawal and accelerated loss of independence.