All-around services care for the elderly

Xinwu district in the Jiangsu city of Wuxi is improving care services for the elderly to ensure their health and happiness.

Xinwu is home to 91,000 senior residents, accounting for 23.88 percent of the district's registered population.

One of the priorities for many community officials is to offer the elderly quality care services at home or in their neighborhood, according to the district government.

With a combined investment of 950 million yuan ($150.3 million), Xinwu has built an array of elder care facilities over the past few years. These include six home care service centers, 73 service stations and nine food delivery centers.

Its Wangzhuang Street was honored as a provincial smart elder care demonstration street last year thanks to its various services that utilize advanced technology.

For example, the street has established a big data system to monitor all its services including nursing care, education and entertainment. Every time an elderly resident takes part in an activity at the local service center, data are collected via a digital card.

It not only helps enhance service quality but assists in government regulation, an industrial expert said.

At the Wangzhuang Nursing Home, senior citizens are provided with a smart security card, which can be used to alert the front desk if users fall down or get lost.

Meanwhile, elderly people's daily meals, medicine and health information as well as carers' work are managed by different applications and a central computing system. Their families can keep themselves in contact with carers through an online social network.

The Xinwu civil affairs and health bureau has also launched a house refitting project for the elderly who have lost some or all capability to take care of themselves.

The refitting scheme is customized according to a professional evaluation of residents' needs and building conditions, said a representative from the bureau.

If they need to use a wheelchair, all entrances and steps in their house will be rebuilt. If they are bedridden, they will be offered automatic nursing beds, the representative added.

Other refitted items included an anti-slip treatment for floors, installing handrails in the bathroom and providing assisted-living facilities such as shower chairs and overbed tables, according to the bureau.

By November 2021, 210 households had been renovated in Xinwu.

"Thanks to the sensor light in the corridor, I won't worry about falling down when going to the bathroom at night," said Qian Fuzhen, a 93-year-old resident in Xinwu. She sent a silk banner to the bureau to express her gratitude.

Equal attention has been given to the elderly's dining and recreation in Xinwu. The canteen in the home care service center on Xin'an Street serves up healthy dishes and delivers meals to 140 senior residents.

At the center, elderly people can participate in courses ranging from photography and handicraft to dancing and baking.

Community officials and volunteers also visit seniors' homes to help them with housework, offer massages and other healthcare services or simply chat with them.

zhanglinwan@chinadaily.com.cn