A Taiwan study abroad program on aging,culture, and healthcare

This article introduces a Taiwan Study Abroad program on aging, culture, and healthcare. The program is a short-term academic summer program (6 credits) to bring U.S. students to Taiwan. During 2011 ~ 2015, a total of four groups including over 54 students and faculty members participated. This program partnered with multiple universities, hospitals, long-term care facilities, government agencies, and local communities. American and local Taiwanese students shared the joint classroom and immersed in reflective field experience. Six senior living and healthcare models (3 community-based and 3 facility-based models) are highlighted to showcase how culturally-tailored strategies and interdisciplinary aging care can be integrated in these aging facilities. This Taiwan Study Abroad Program has implications on teaching college and graduate students as global innovators via providing global perspectives and linkage towards gerontology curriculum and the emerging business markets in the aging society. Lessons learned from the Taiwan study abroad program can be applied to other cultural and countries on developing innovative educational gerontology study and practice models.