The National Palace Museum, in cooperation with Taipei Veterans General Hospital, released the “jinpai cognition card,” an art-assisted therapy tool, this Tuesday. This card was created in response to the need to preserve cognitive function and treat dementia in the elderly population, a top public health priority as Taiwan transitions into a super-aged society.
The cognition card has been tested for one year and performed well as an auxiliary therapy for patients suffering from dementia. It enables the user to interact with 60 cultural relics and art pieces at the museum. Occupational therapist Hsu Ting-rong (許庭榕) explained that these items were specifically selected to stimulate the imagination and trigger nostalgic emotions in the elderly. The card is available for purchase at NT$800 (US$25).
National Palace Museum Director Hsiao Tsung-huang (蕭宗煌) said this cooperation between the museum and hospital is the first of its kind, and expressed his excitement about the opportunity to contribute a non-drug intervention for cognitive decline. Taipei Veterans General Hospital Superintendent Chen Wei-ming (陳威明) added that the two institutions will continue to develop innovative interdisciplinary services for the elderly in years to come.