Supporting Disabled Individuals in Aging Crisis.

Liang Ge (a pseudonym) , 46 years old this year, has a gentle personality. However, due to his intellectual disability and bilateral hearing loss, he struggles to express his needs clearly and is sensitive to changes in his environment. After graduating from high school, he remained at home without receiving any services. His mother passed away early, and he was cared for by his father and sister. After his father’s passing two years ago, he has lived alone, with his sister only able to visit him during her busy schedule.

In October last year, Liang Ge came to the community care center in Sanmin District, Kaohsiung City. He felt unfamiliar, nervous, and anxious about the new environment. His caregiver communicated with him using individualized picture cards and structured daily activities. Along with the companionship of peers, Liang Ge gradually began to enjoy life at the Sanmin Community Care Center. In June this year, Liang Ge successfully moved into a community home, where he received more support and companionship from his peers. Finally, Liang Ge no longer had to live alone.

Now, wearing a hearing aid, Liang Ge can hear a richer variety of sounds around him. He has become more enthusiastic about participating in group activities and can interact more positively with the staff. With the support of the staff, the companionship of his peers, and the benefits of assistive devices, Liang Ge is experiencing a brand-new life.

Regardless of the individual’s traits, challenges, or life experiences, with the careful observation and attentive companionship of the staff, and the cooperation of family members, everyone has the opportunity to live a new life of their own!

Founded in 2011, the Hsih Ann Taipei Percussion Ensemble has now been around for over ten years. Beyond using music to heal the mind and body, the ensemble also serves as a way for the participants to slow the aging process, enhance their physical rhythm and hand-eye coordination through percussion instruments, and improve memory through the training of reading music. Additionally, it encourages teamwork and constant communication, which are excellent methods for individuals with intellectual disabilities to learn and maintain interpersonal relationships.

This year, the ensemble performed pieces such as "Cachito," "Hide and Seek," "Capri Island," and "Small Town Summer," all of which are lively, upbeat songs. Keeping up with the rhythm was already a big challenge; each member was responsible for different instruments, meaning everyone had to practice on four different instruments and memorize four pieces of music. This involved knowing when to switch to a different rhythm, when to pause, and where to stand during scene changes. The members used their one hour of practice time after work each week to rehearse, making the most of this precious time. The performance was successfully completed, and the audience's thunderous applause was the best encouragement for them.

The day after the concert, which happened to be the day of our group practice, the members, still full of excitement, eagerly shared with me what had happened during the performance.

Member A: "Sister, I have to tell you, the makeup artist put little stars on my face, and it was so beautiful!"
Me: "Yes! They've been coming to help us for several years now. We need to thank them properly."
Member B: "Also, the xylophone yesterday was the one I usually use, which made me feel so at ease."
Me: "Yes, to help you feel familiar, it was specifically borrowed for us from the Zhu Zongqing studio."
Member C: "And after the performance, we got lunch boxes, and everything inside was so delicious! Did you buy that for us?"
Me: "Ah! Of course not. That was sponsored by the Federal Bank!"

After their excited sharing, they began practicing with the teacher. Watching them focus so seriously, I had so much I wanted to say to the members. During regular practices, I often see you all frustrated when you can’t keep up with the rhythm or feel guilty when you miss a note, but what touches me the most is your courage to keep going despite failure and setbacks. Step by step, you are creating your own life symphony with each strike of the instrument.

Thank you to all the members for their dedicated practice over the past year, and thanks to the audience who came to enjoy the ensemble's performance. Just like our end pose, we exist because of love. We worked hard, and finally, we played a moving melody!