China Society News:

By the end of 2023, China's population aged 60 and above reached 297 million. What has the MCA done to actively respond to population aging and promote the development of elderly care programs? What are your plans for future work in this area? Thank you.

Lu Zhiyuan:

Thank you for your question. Actively addressing population aging is crucial to China's overall development and the well-being of millions. In recent years, the MCA has earnestly implemented a proactive national strategy in response to population aging, focusing on people's demands for elderly care services and accelerating the development of the elderly care service system. We've initially established an institutional framework for elderly care services, bringing four shifts in this area. First, we have shifted from providing services only for elderly people with special difficulties to services for the entire elderly population. Second, we have shifted from a model with the government mainly responsible for the supply of elderly care services to a new model with diverse participation from the government, market, and society. Third, we have shifted from providing mainly institution-based elderly care services to coordinating home, community, and institutional care. Fourth, we have shifted from meeting people's basic living needs and providing daily care services to providing quality services that integrate both medical and health care.

Population aging is a reality China must face squarely on its path to modernization. While challenges exist, this demographic shift also presents opportunities. Moving forward, we'll follow the decisions and plans of the CPC Central Committee, earnestly implementing a proactive national strategy to address population aging. We'll integrate concepts of positive aging and healthy aging into all stages of economic and social development, enhance elderly care efforts, and promote high-quality development of elderly care services.

In the area of work on aging, we will meticulously carry out the functions of the Office of the National Working Commission on Aging in terms of comprehensive coordination, supervision and organization, so that we can enhance overall work coordination in response to the aging of the population. We will improve the mechanism for implementing the national strategy for addressing population aging, compile and execute plans on the development of aging programs, continuously refine the social security system, elderly care services and health support, building an elderly-friendly society. We will ensure funds, services and institutions to safeguard support, care and fulfillment for the elderly. Focusing on pressing difficulties and problems that concern the elder jointly with relevant departments, we will concentrate efforts to bring about concrete welfare to the elderly in terms of preferential policies, entertainment, law support, volunteer services, technological facilities and financial benefits. In terms of elderly care services, we will mainly focus on four aspects:

First, we will improve the elderly care service network. Just as there are schools for education and hospitals for health care, corresponding institutional facilities and networks are also necessary for elderly care services. We will prioritize the construction of integrated elderly care service platforms in counties and districts, regional elderly care service centers in towns, townships and urban sub-districts as well as elderly care stations in villages and communities, so as to build a three-tiered elderly care service network that spans counties (districts), towns and townships (urban sub-districts), and villages (communities). In other words, we will comprehensively establish an overall network for elderly care services. 

Second, we will optimize the service supply layout. In response to the habits and preferences of the majority of the elderly who prefer to live at home, we will establish good community elderly care services. We will provide home-based services assisting the elderly living at home with meals, bathing, cleaning, mobility, medical care and emergency, thereby consolidating the foundational status of home-based elderly care services. Focusing on the needs of the elderly and leveraging the supporting role of community elder care, we will develop service projects such as daytime care, senior dining rooms and rehabilitation nursing, so that the elderly can enjoy their retirement right at their doorsteps. We will also harness the professional supporting role of elder care institutions, leveraging their functions in innovative demonstration, service skills training and equipment promotion and application, as well as enhance care services for disabled and incapacitated elderly people. This will create a coordinated and aligned supply structure for elderly care services covering the levels of home, community and institutions.

Third, we will promote the coordinated development of the elderly care service programs and industries. We will fully harness the roles of a capable government, an effective market and a compassionate society to form a virtuous cycle where programs drive the industries and the industries support the development of the programs. We will support and cultivate specialized, branded and chained market entities in elderly care services, expand consumption on elderly care services, and develop and strengthen the silver economy.

Fourth, we will strengthen comprehensive supervision on elder care services. We will strengthen supervision over the quality and safety of elderly care services and improve regulatory systems and rules for emerging areas such as home-based and community-based services, integrated medical and elderly care services, assisted catering services and retirement communities. We will enhance the development of elderly care service standards, promote openness and transparency in elderly car service projects, processes and pricing, and assure the elderly with quality services.

Through the concerted efforts of society as a whole and the effective implementation of the national strategy for addressing population aging, by 2035 China's elderly care service system with Chinese characteristics will be mature and well-established. The majority of elderly people will enjoy basic elderly care services, share the benefits of economic and social development and live a happy life in their twilight years. Thank you!