Local senior residents dine at the Shanggang Community Canteen for the Elderly in Shanghai's Pudong New Area on May 15, 2024. [Photo/thepaper.cn]

Shanghai is set to add 40 community centers, 30 community canteens, and 200 service centers for the elderly by the end of 2024, all part of the city's effort to build an elderly-friendly society, according to a recently released action plan.

The action plan also aims to expand the reach of its emergency helpline to cover an additional 100,000 elderly residents who live alone, as well as to renovate up to 6,000 elderly people living places to improve accessibility.

The action plan also covers improvements in care services for elderly people with cognitive impairment, such as renovating 3,000 cognitive impairment care beds. The city will also continue to extend its smart water meter monitoring service to 8,000 more households of elderly people facing special difficulties. Community social workers will check on the related elderly once the smart water meter indicates an anomaly compared to normal day of water consumption, as in the case that the meter stops running.

An addition of 30rural elders care homes will also help increase the supply of elderly care service in the city's suburban areas.

In addition, the action plan takes into consideration the needs of the elderly in terms of education, sports, and culture. Shanghai plans to expand its elderly education sector by adding eight senior universities by the end of 2024.

The action plan also specifies that Shanghai will enhance medical service in local nursing institutions. It will also strengthen infectious disease prevention and control in nursing homes in order to effectively prevent outbreaks.

Source: thepaper.cn