Canteens for seniors feed demands of aging population
With support from central government, more dining halls for older people are being established
Aging gracefully
Almost one-quarter, or 22.1 percent, of elderly people require meal assistance services, making such services a critical aspect of home-based care, according to a Ministry of Civil Affairs survey.
In response to this data, the ministry and several other government bodies released an action plan in October last year to significantly increase the coverage of meal assistance services across the country by the end of 2025.
Seniors canteens have been popping up across the country in recent years.
Southwest China's Chongqing municipality has already established nearly 1,600 seniors canteens, which are expected to serve over 1.8 million people annually.
In Zhengzhou, the capital of central China's Henan province, plans are underway to open 600 meal facilities for seniors by the end of the year, aiming to cover 40 percent of urban communities and 10 percent of rural villages.
Seniors canteens are a part of China's efforts to boost home-based and community-based elderly care services. Other measures include issuing supportive policies, offering subsidies, attracting private capital and training talent, said Wu Lijuan, an associate professor in the Department of Sociology at Peking University.
In July, over 300 measures were unveiled at a key Communist Party of China leadership plenum to push for deeper comprehensive reform, with the plenum pledging to develop community-based facilities to improve the supply of basic elderly care services.
"The Chinese government's emphasis on elderly care aligns with the long-standing tradition of respecting the elderly and practicing filial piety," Wu said.
Xiang from the Cuiyuan No 1 Community said: "We often say that caring for our children is caring for the future of our country. In fact, taking care of our elderly is about caring for each of our own futures."
"By creating age-friendly communities, we ensure that no one has to fear growing old," she added.
Xinhua and Dalian News Media Group contributed to this story.
zhangxiaomin@chinadaily.com.cn
