As the aging population in China becomes of greater concern, the problem of how to provide for these elderly citizens becomes more imminent than ever. However, an elderly service center in Jiading, Shanghai, might have found the answer.

For the past three years, only three elderly people were in the care of said center, but now, it’s crowded almost every day from opening to closing. Their secret was changing the system under which the center operated, creating a community based, demand oriented, all-round service center devoted to the well-being of elderly citizens. The new center attracted pensioners who were once reluctant to socialize to become regulars with services that the old system could have never achieved. There were 4 key changes made:

1.Personalization: The center now offers different services for different types of citizens. For example, the center might create a more social-based schedule for elderly people who are fit and healthy while providing more physical care to those who are less able. They have also established a profile for all the elderly people there, recording any physiological anomalies, making sure they will be able to get the most apt treatment for them as necessary.

2.Services: the center now provides largely two types of services for all. Physical –including health checkups as well as barbering, foot massages, and spa – and social services–which includes hosting gatherings on important holidays, as well as daily sessions where elderly people can play board games and watch programs together.

3.Self-sustainability: many elderly people who actively receive the services also become volunteers. They start their own WeChat groups and schedule shifts at the center and help out by doing what they each do best. The volunteers often cook, bake, or make artifacts to decorate the center, making the center a more familial and lovable place for everyone.

4.Compassion: The staff at the service center are extremely responsible, often taking their obligations to the next level. They help settle neighborhood or family disputes, as well as frequently telephone those elderly people who can’t make it to the center. A recent example is the amount of care these staff have shown in the covid-19 pandemic, constantly checking up on the elderly people, and delivering supplies and appliances when needed.

Taking care of the elderly is a moral duty we all should embrace. This service center in Jiading has proven to us the possibility of greatly enhancing such care, and paved the way to a better solution for population aging - atrue role model for all centers to work towards.