Adding luster to the golden year
By Fei Lai |
January 26, 2013, Saturday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
SHANGHAI has one of the largest aging populations in China, and the Minhang District is committed to ensuring that the care and well-being of its senior citizens are high priorities.
That strategy was a key plank in the 2013 plan adopted recently by the district People's Congress and its Political Consultative Committee.
"In tandem with developing the local economy, the government will endeavor to provide better services and living environments for the aged," said Zhao Zhuping, vice Party secretary of Minhang. "There are growing demands of the senior population, and practical measures will be taken to answer their calls and meet their needs."
The district plans to expand the number of public facilities for the aged in the areas of Hongqiao and Maqiao areas this year.
District officials acknowledge accelerating growth in the aged population.
The number of seniors living in the district has doubled since 2000, reaching 293,100 in 2010. By 2011, there were 38,900 people 80 years or older, and 400,000 seniors are expected to be living here by 2015.
A recent forum was held to discuss the development of more senior services in the district. It looked at the repercussions of China's one-child policy on the care of elderly people who depend on family support. By this year, nearly 80 percent of the senior population will be affected by the lower birth rate.
With job demands and sometimes four elderly parents to care for, couples of the one-child generation often can't cope with the needs of the older generation.
Intellectual stimulation
Compounding the problem, an estimated 620 seniors have lost their only child to death, and another 1,200 have a child now disabled.
In 2010, about 530,000 seniors, or a quarter of the registered elderly population, were living alone. Of those, nearly 163,000 were 80 years or older, and one in eight of them was unable to get around on their own.
Today's elderly population seeks not only comfortable living and quality health care, but also intellectual stimulation. According to the report, 42 percent of the district's senior population between the ages of 60 and 69 have high school or higher degrees.
"They care more about retaining their mental acuity," Zhao said. "They are changing the way they spend time after retirement. Many rent their homes and want to support themselves."
Many elderly people whose children have moved abroad have little choice but to seek elderly accommodation when they can no longer take care of themselves.
Services come at a cost. The report said about a quarter of the senior population in Minhang could bear monthly fees of 2,000 yuan (US$321), but there remain many on low incomes who have little to spend on their care.
In 2010, 80,000 seniors in the district received pensions of less than 1,000 yuan a month. Only 6.5 percent of aged facilities offer care at that level of payment.
Statistics may outline the scope of the challenge facing the district, but solutions will require the involvement of all district residents. The local government is now asking for public feedback on the issue.
Among the prominent recommendations is a call for more long-term care facilities that meet requirements for comprehensive health services and cultural activities. Such a strategy will entail favorable land and tax policies and new sources of funding. Older dilapidated buildings could be renovated to provide homes for the aged.
That strategy was a key plank in the 2013 plan adopted recently by the district People's Congress and its Political Consultative Committee.
"In tandem with developing the local economy, the government will endeavor to provide better services and living environments for the aged," said Zhao Zhuping, vice Party secretary of Minhang. "There are growing demands of the senior population, and practical measures will be taken to answer their calls and meet their needs."
The district plans to expand the number of public facilities for the aged in the areas of Hongqiao and Maqiao areas this year.
District officials acknowledge accelerating growth in the aged population.
The number of seniors living in the district has doubled since 2000, reaching 293,100 in 2010. By 2011, there were 38,900 people 80 years or older, and 400,000 seniors are expected to be living here by 2015.
A recent forum was held to discuss the development of more senior services in the district. It looked at the repercussions of China's one-child policy on the care of elderly people who depend on family support. By this year, nearly 80 percent of the senior population will be affected by the lower birth rate.
With job demands and sometimes four elderly parents to care for, couples of the one-child generation often can't cope with the needs of the older generation.
Intellectual stimulation
Compounding the problem, an estimated 620 seniors have lost their only child to death, and another 1,200 have a child now disabled.
In 2010, about 530,000 seniors, or a quarter of the registered elderly population, were living alone. Of those, nearly 163,000 were 80 years or older, and one in eight of them was unable to get around on their own.
Today's elderly population seeks not only comfortable living and quality health care, but also intellectual stimulation. According to the report, 42 percent of the district's senior population between the ages of 60 and 69 have high school or higher degrees.
"They care more about retaining their mental acuity," Zhao said. "They are changing the way they spend time after retirement. Many rent their homes and want to support themselves."
Many elderly people whose children have moved abroad have little choice but to seek elderly accommodation when they can no longer take care of themselves.
Services come at a cost. The report said about a quarter of the senior population in Minhang could bear monthly fees of 2,000 yuan (US$321), but there remain many on low incomes who have little to spend on their care.
In 2010, 80,000 seniors in the district received pensions of less than 1,000 yuan a month. Only 6.5 percent of aged facilities offer care at that level of payment.
Statistics may outline the scope of the challenge facing the district, but solutions will require the involvement of all district residents. The local government is now asking for public feedback on the issue.
Among the prominent recommendations is a call for more long-term care facilities that meet requirements for comprehensive health services and cultural activities. Such a strategy will entail favorable land and tax policies and new sources of funding. Older dilapidated buildings could be renovated to provide homes for the aged.
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