Putuo improves public services for senior citizens
Print Edition
AS the city’s populations continues to grow older, officials from Putuo District are sparing no effort to develop diverse and innovative care services for the elderly.
Statistics from the district’s civil affairs department show that by the end of 2015, Putuo District reported a resident population of about 890,000 people. More than 32 percent are senior citizens over the age of 60. That population group has increased by 6.14 percent compared to the previous year.
“It will present big societal challenges in care and health services,” says Zhao Fei, an official with the Putuo District Civil Affairs Bureau. “We will improve a network of elderly care services to satisfy the rising needs of the old people in nursing home, community health care center, home care, rehabilitation nursing and apartments.”
So far Putuo has 49 elderly care stations around the district’s residential communities. The stations provide a wide range of services including day care, health care, special diets and entertainment.
A total of 243 standardized activity rooms for the elderly and 36 community health care stations have been built in the district. Educational services have reached more than one third of the senior citizens.
Additionally, hotlines and online platform have also been established to offer counseling and other services. More than 1,500 enterprises have been engaged in providing or rendering of services.
Zhao adds that they will continue to establish elderly care stations, nursing homes and activity rooms in 2016. Comprehensive services and support will be offered to improve the quality of life for elderly people.
The district will also improve safety and build more facilities for the elderly to rest in public areas. To date, around 1,400 sets of lounge chairs have been installed in the district’s residential areas. A total of 724 poor families have been granted home renovation and have seen the repair of electrical wiring and bathing equipment.
According to recent statistics of National Bureau of Statistics of China, by the end of last year, 144 million people in China are aged 65 and older, accounting for more than 10 percent of the total population. It has surpassed the standard 7 percent used globally to identify an aging society.
Experts expect that the population of senior citizens will reach 375 million by 2050. In the following decades, the number of senior citizens will continue to increase and pose economic and social pressures.
Li Cheng, an official with the Caoyang Community Service Center, notes that in addition to offering home and community elder care, they have also paid high attention to the elderly’s emotional and psychological demands.
Experts have been invited to communicate with the elderly people who might be suffering the “seniors’ blues,” which is adversely affecting family life and relationships. A lot of elderly people have received emotional support from the community to feel more fulfilled.
Zhenru Town Community Life Service Center of the district has also built up a database of elderly people who are physically or financially disadvantaged. The database gets updated regularly to offer timely assistance and support.
The government of Putuo will also promote and develop the “embedded” elder care pattern, a new model which overcomes the weaknesses of traditional ways of care service.
Small endowment service enterprise and social organization will be introduced to the communities of the district. Professionals will provide care for senior citizens who are suffering diseases, pain and loneliness. Such care is affordable for the elderly. The seniors can get aids to come to their own home or the building in the residential community.
This is aimed to help ease the pressure on younger family members who are busy with their work and have little to care for their parents.
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