In the evening, at the Home Community Elderly Care Service Center (Yingjin Community) in Fengze District, Quanzhou, the warm calls of “Grandpa” and “Grandma” resonate. The aroma of food wafts from the elder dining hall on the second floor, where 91-year-old Lin Qingzhi and his elderly sisters sit at the table early, chatting about interesting stories while waiting for their meals to be served.
“The food is to my taste, and I feel comfortable living here. My children often come to visit,” said Lin Qingzhi, whose eldest son brought him here two years ago for better care due to his mother’s heart condition. “Unlike in the past when we had to go to the hospital for check-ups, this year the doctors come directly to our home,” Lin’s wife told reporters.
Quanzhou is one of the earliest cities in the country to implement home community elderly care. It was recognized as an “Excellent Pilot City for Home and Community Elderly Care Service Reform” in 2020. In 2023, it became the only region in the province selected for the national action project to enhance basic home and community elderly care services, having built 2,588 family elderly care beds, exceeding its target.
Recently, reporters visited relevant departments, elderly care institutions, and communities to explore the happiness of elderly care “at the doorstep” and the warmth of neighborly mutual assistance.
“Many elderly people come to inquire themselves”
“In recent years, the demand for elderly care has seen a new pattern termed ‘9901’, meaning 99% of elderly people choose home community care, while only 1% opt for institutional care,” said Fang Haitao, head of the Elderly Care Department of the Quanzhou Civil Affairs Bureau. Under the influence of the cultural tradition of “staying at home for elderly care”, nearby care remains the mainstream choice.
The layout of elderly care service centers in communities is a significant change in the elderly care industry in Quanzhou in recent years, with some institutions currently maintaining a full operation status of “one in, one out”.
“Community elderly care not only meets the elderly’s desire for ‘staying at home for care’ but also provides convenience for children to care for and visit their parents, while also extending to home service,” Fang Haitao explained.
“We focus on elderly individuals who are high-risk, live alone, have rehabilitation needs, or lack family care, providing full-time, day-care, and home services that comprehensively address both living security and spiritual needs,” said Wang Shikun, general manager of Quanzhou Wenqing Elderly Care Service Co., Ltd., which operates the Fengze Street Home Community Elderly Care Service Center. The center has been in operation since 2020 and currently accommodates 51 full-time elderly residents.
The mindset of the elderly towards care service centers is also changing. “Now, many elderly people come to inquire about bed availability themselves or ask community assistants for help, which was not so common before,” Wang Shikun said.
“At first, some elderly residents might feel abandoned by their families when they move in,” said Huang Baozhu, head of the nursing department at the center. “Elderly people need care and attention. After moving in, the age-friendly environment and professional care facilitate daily life and provide more opportunities for interaction with others. Being close to home also makes it convenient for children to visit, which helps them relax mentally.”
Currently, this new model of “embedded” elderly care services is quietly changing the lives of the elderly. By embedding comprehensive elderly care services within communities, addressing basic needs such as daily care, rehabilitation, and emotional support, and equipping corresponding functional facilities and adaptive services, it truly achieves one-stop elderly care “at the doorstep”.
Unlike the closed model of traditional elderly care institutions, “embedded” elderly care is more vibrant. “Our activity area is open to the community, and local elderly people often gather here to chat, read newspapers, play cards, and sing, creating a lively atmosphere,” Wang Shikun said.
In September last year, Quanzhou was selected as one of the first cities in the country to build embedded service facilities in urban communities, injecting new momentum into elderly care service innovation.
“Life has become much more comfortable”
Recently, staff from Quanzhou Hekang Smart Elderly Care Industry Co., Ltd. visited Chen Qingliang, an 85-year-old resident of Luoyang Village, Taocheng Town, Yongchun County, to follow up on the elderly-friendly renovation work.
Chen Qingliang, who lives with his wife suffering from chronic illness, is a special difficult elderly person under the key support of Quanzhou City. He expressed great satisfaction with the newly installed handrails, bedside guardrails, newly renovated toilet, sensor night lights, and newly acquired wheelchair: “With the government-purchased home elderly care services, my wife and I have become much more comfortable. The elderly care staff treat us like their own children, which is a great help to us.”
Since 2015, Quanzhou has taken the lead in the province to continuously promote government-purchased home elderly care services, providing assistance in meals, bathing, cleaning, medical care, mobility, and emergency services to elderly residents at home. So far, Quanzhou has conducted elderly-friendly renovations for nearly 5,000 households of difficult elderly families.
At the elderly care service organization incubation base managed by Hekang, reporters saw a variety of elderly-friendly products, including smart devices. “These products meet the basic living needs of elderly residents at home and can also reduce the care pressure and workload of family members or elderly care staff,” said Ou Junling, general manager of Hekang.
It is reported that Quanzhou has conducted two consecutive years of subsidies for replacing old consumer goods and elderly-friendly renovations, allowing elderly-friendly renovations to better “enter ordinary households” and meet the home elderly care needs of ordinary elderly people. “After families in need submit renovation applications to their communities, relevant institutions will conduct on-site inspections to understand actual needs and develop plans, which can only be implemented after community approval,” Ou Junling explained. By adopting a “one household, one policy” approach, they help each elderly person find safe, comfortable, and economically suitable products, making elderly-friendly renovations more targeted.
“Today I help you, tomorrow you help me”
As the elderly are cared for, they also contribute.
In Xihu Community, Licheng District, there is a “Silver Age Elderly Assistance Service Team” composed of elderly volunteers who are busy with various elderly care activities in the community, caring for the small matters of each household.
In May of this year, 73-year-old retired teacher Wang Yuling suffered a fracture from a car accident. Du Yongshui, a fellow retired teacher and member of the service team, learned of this and immediately visited to offer support and helped arrange for a temporary caregiver. “Once I recover, I also want to join this loving community service team,” Wang Yuling said, deeply moved.
The unique charitable elderly care model is an important supplement and support for elderly care services in Quanzhou. In 2012, adhering to the volunteer concept of “Today I help you, tomorrow you help me”, the Quanzhou Elderly Service Volunteer Association was established, which has since promoted the formation of over 170 community volunteer elderly assistance service teams.
Reporters found that many people believe that “elderly helping elderly” helps strengthen emotional bonds among the elderly, allowing them to achieve mutual assistance more effectively and giving participating elderly volunteers a sense of accomplishment from being able to contribute.
“Not long ago, our ‘New Spring Volunteer Elderly Assistance ‘300’ activity project, cultivated since 2016, was awarded the 2024 Provincial Best Volunteer Service Project,” said Shangguan Lianwen, secretary of the Quanzhou Elderly Service Volunteer Association. The association has accurately assisted over 2,500 special difficult elderly individuals through a “one-on-one” or “many-to-one” assistance mechanism. Since the launch of the activities, the number of elderly volunteers and volunteer service organizations in Quanzhou has continued to increase.
In Fengze Community, Fengze District, the Silver Age Volunteer Service Team relies on the elderly activity center and collaborates with Quanzhou University of the Elderly and Quanzhou Open University to offer dance, electronic piano, and Nanyin classes.
Recently, the Nanyin class students from the Quanzhou Open University Fengze Community teaching site performed the song “Beautiful Minnan Overseas Chinese Town” at the 2025 “Happy Age Cup” National Elderly Art Exhibition, winning the “Best Performance Award”. Student Lin Jianguo remarked, “Since the class started in September 2020, this team, with an average age of 62, has progressed from zero foundation to bringing a thousand-year-old elegance from community classrooms to the national stage.”
Source: Fujian Daily