Beijing improves accessibility in service for senior citizens

Thanks to a community-based elderly care model in Beijing, comprehensive services are offered to senior citizens both at home and in care centers, making support easily accessible for the aging population.

In a quiet courtyard of the Andingmen Furong Elderly Care Center in Beijing, elderly residents, most of whom are 80 and above, exercise in the morning and enjoy the sunshine.

The center integrates medical care and residential services through partnerships with the nearby Beijing Gulou Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, a large medical organization in the region. "Our team from Gulou Hospital provides regular health check-ups and treatments," said Cheng Furong, the center's director, emphasizing the seamless access to medical support and inpatient services.

The elderly residents appreciate these services. "It's only a three-minute walk to the hospital, which makes getting medical help very convenient," said 93-year-old Sun Lianrong. "The care here is attentive, and I feel safe. I've been here for two years and enjoy it."

Despite limited nursing beds, the center extends its outreach through home-based services, collaborating with private providers to offer tailored services, such as meal delivery, medical support and home repairs. This dual approach ensures that elderly residents in the Zhongluowan community have reliable options for care. "The center's staff are caring, and it's comforting for residents to have home-based support. It's warmhearted when I receive the meal delivered to my home," said 88-year-old Fan Yunfang, who used to order the service at home before moving into the institution for care.

The model of the elderly care center aligns with Beijing's policy to build an inclusive and responsive elderly care network, providing convenient solutions and dignity for the local elderly population.

Statistics reveal that many elderly Beijing residents favor home or community care over other forms of care, echoing the call for these integrated elderly care service solutions.

According to Guo Hanqiao, deputy director of the Beijing Municipal Civil Affairs Bureau, while there are over 570 elderly care institutions, nearly 1,500 service stations and more than 2,000 meal assistance points across the city's expansive elderly care network, less than 1% of the 4.95 million elderly residents seek institutional care, with 95.3% of the 855,000 senior citizens aged 80 and above preferring home-based services.

With China's emphasis on the proceeding of at-home and community-based elderly care, these integrated models are essential, ensuring support is close to home for the elderly.

Guo Yanqi contributed to the story