A system for cultivating quality elderly care communities bridges the "last mile" of home-based elderly care.

Shenyang launches "fingertip access" for elderly care services.

In 2023, Shenyang will implement a comprehensive approach encompassing policy support, financial assistance, and enhanced services to improve its high-quality elderly care service system. Focusing on the needs of seniors in choosing community-based and home-based elderly care services, the Municipal Civil Affairs Bureau has innovatively launched the Shenyang Diversified and Multi-tiered Quality Elderly Care Community Cultivation System to address past issues such as poor utilization of elderly care facilities, difficulty locating service providers, and inaccurate service offerings. The system aims to bridge the "last mile" of community-based home-based elderly care services.

A "One System" Promotes the Gradual Development of Quality Elderly Care Communities

The "Shenyang Diversified and Multi-tiered Quality Elderly Care Community Cultivation System" has been issued, promoting the development of "basic," "enhanced," and "demonstration" quality elderly care communities. This "Four Ones" approach aims to create "basic" elderly care communities: each community must have at least one facility providing community-based elderly care services and activities, a community care manager, a team of elderly care grid members, and a comprehensive set of elderly care service programs that meet the basic needs of seniors. The "4+3" initiative aims to create "enhanced" senior care communities. Building on the "four ones" approach to cultivating basic senior care communities, it proposes three requirements: building comprehensive senior care service centers, introducing professional service organizations, and providing diversified service programs. The "4+7" initiative aims to cultivate "demonstration" senior care communities, adding seven new features, including "Happy Elderly Canteens" and smart senior care services. Currently, the city has cultivated 24 "demonstration" communities, 59 "enhanced" communities, and 91 "basic" communities.

"One Guideline" Promotes the "Three Entries" of Quality Senior Care Services into Communities

The "Shenyang City Quality Senior Care Community Work Guidelines" have been formulated to promote the "three entries" of senior care service facilities, service providers, and service programs into communities.

Service facilities are integrated into communities, creating a "quarter-hour" radius of senior care services. The city has established 290 senior care service centers offering full-time, daycare, and home care services, renovated 967 community senior care service stations, and built 160 "Happy Elderly Canteens."

By introducing "professional entities," a number of leading domestic and international elderly care companies, including Germany's Rena Fan Elderly Care Group, China Health Care Group, and Taikang Home Shenyuan, have invested in the city, bringing the proportion of socially operated elderly care institutions to over 90%. "Elderly care butlers" have been deployed, forming a three-tiered elderly care butler service system: community, residential complex, and grid.

Through government-purchased services, free services ranging from 3 to 45 hours per month are provided to elderly people facing special challenges, such as those with advanced age or disabilities. A total of 300,000 hours of service have been provided to date. Over 5,100 households of elderly people in need have undergone aging-friendly renovations. A care program has been implemented for elderly people with disabilities, severe disabilities, and other conditions, achieving a 100% monthly visit rate for elderly people in special challenges across the city.

A "One System" Unlocks Smart Home Scenario for "Fingertip Elderly Care"

The "Shenyang Elderly Care Service Management" information system has been established, leveraging technology to reduce the burden of elderly care and enhance their well-being.

Services delivered to your home without leaving your home. The "Shenyang Elderly Care" mini-program was first launched in Northeast China, creating a service delivery model characterized by "service recipients placing orders - connecting with businesses to dispatch orders - service personnel accepting orders - and government-managed online oversight of the entire process," truly achieving "elderly care at your fingertips." Electronic service cards have been generated for 20,000 seniors, and 370,000 orders have been placed.

"Smart Care" safely arrives at home. 4,500 families with disabled or partially disabled elderly individuals from economically disadvantaged or family planning-related families have been equipped with intelligent devices such as far-infrared monitoring and emergency call systems to promptly identify safety risks facing the elderly at home.

"Data Finds People" Brings Policies to People's Doors. Leveraging big data, the "policy finds people" initiative for senior citizen subsidies has been implemented, establishing a precise identification and dynamic management mechanism for senior citizens. A total of 69.3 million yuan in senior citizen subsidies have been distributed to 2,654 elderly individuals who were "due for subsidies but have not yet received them."

(Shenyang Daily, Shenyang Daily All-Media Reporter Zhang Yichi)