What do we need to do? Du Peng, Vice President of Renmin University of China: From Compromised Elderly Care to Enjoyable Elderly Care Services | Elderly Care | Renmin University of China

With the development of society, the elderly need more and more diverse elderly care services, and the past of accommodating elderly care is gradually becoming an enjoyable type of elderly care. How did this change occur? What are the new characteristics of the large elderly consumer group? What new products and services can meet the constantly evolving needs of the elderly? Please listen to Du Peng, Vice President of Renmin University of China and Director of the Institute of Gerontology, providing an in-depth interpretation on the program "China Economic Lecture Hall" on CCTV Finance and Economics Channel.

Du Peng, Vice President and Director of Institute of Gerontology, Renmin University of China

In the past, the elderly were a consumer group that was easily overlooked. Many people think this way: what role can elderly people play in driving economic consumption? I think this is a misunderstanding. On the one hand, the needs of the elderly are shifting from traditional elderly care consumption to more modern and higher quality of life needs; On the other hand, through nearly 20 years of construction, China's elderly industry has made great progress. Therefore, elderly consumption is actually a "blue ocean" that urgently needs to be developed and has trillions of consumption energy.

Today, we will talk about the changes in the demand for elderly services brought about by the elderly in the process of transitioning from elderly care to "enjoying old age".

"What is Smart Elderly Care"

For thousands of years, when Chinese people talk about the issue of elderly care, they mainly focus on three functions - economic support, daily care, and spiritual comfort.

Throughout the long history, elderly care has been completed by family members. But now things are different. Many elderly people do not live with their children, and their elderly care needs are becoming increasingly diverse. Therefore, these elderly care needs are externalized into elderly care services. Nowadays, elderly care services have many new means, making them increasingly a part of economic consumption.

The so-called smart elderly care is driven by technological innovation, which deeply integrates information technologies such as artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things with traditional elderly care models, forming emerging industrial forms. At the same time, it also helps more and more elderly people in China to enjoy their elderly life more happily and contentedly.

Some people often wear a wearable device, such as a wristwatch, which can collect health information such as heart rate and blood pressure. If one only has access to this information on their own, it is not considered a form of elderly care service; If it is connected to a terminal for elderly care services, when the elderly person's body is in abnormal condition, the staff of the community service center will call to inquire about any discomfort, whether the elderly person needs corresponding medical services, or accompany the elderly person to the hospital for treatment. Such an intelligent system effectively connects the needs of the elderly with the services provided by the terminal, which is called smart elderly care.

In the elderly care industry incubation park in Taiyuan, Shanxi, there is a cloud platform for elderly care services. Entering the service hall, there is a large screen that is 13 meters long and 2.3 meters high, with various real-time updated data on it. These data show the distribution of elderly people in various streets and communities in Taiyuan City, including how many elderly people are in a disabled or semi disabled state. Entering the online community, you can see how many elderly households live in each building, their age, basic information, and specific elderly care needs.

The service status of 301 community canteens in Taiyuan City is also displayed in real-time on the large screen. Each community cafeteria has a video system that connects to the elderly care service cloud platform. In this way, the staff on the platform can see in real-time how many elderly people are dining there, how much money these elderly people spend on each meal, what dishes they like, and whether the monthly subsidy money in the government's meal cards for the elderly is enough. This platform can collect this information in a timely manner, facilitating the improvement of corresponding services.

As a hot investment topic, smart elderly care can form a new platform for elderly consumption, while also promoting the development of elderly care service consumption.

The new needs of the "new elderly" born in the 1960s

In fact, the rapid growth in demand for elderly care services is an inevitable result of the increasing aging population in China.

In 2022, the number of elderly people aged 60 and above in China reached 280 million, accounting for 19.8% of the total population. The number of elderly people aged 65 and above exceeds 200 million, accounting for 14.9% of the total population. It is expected that by 2050, the number of elderly people aged 60 and above in China will reach 520 million, and the number of elderly people aged 65 and above will exceed 400 million. The rapid growth of the elderly population will inevitably lead to an increase in the demand for elderly consumption.

The aging of our population is increasing.

Moreover, there are significant differences between the elderly today and those from 10 or 20 years ago. In terms of education level, in 2000, among the 130 million elderly people in China, 49% had not attended school. Today, out of the 280 million elderly people in China, only 10% have not attended school, and these 10% are mainly elderly people in their 80s and 90s.

In addition, elderly people are becoming increasingly independent and have stronger economic capabilities. In the past, the economic source of the elderly mainly relied on their children and family members, but the 2020 census showed that in some big cities, many elderly people rely on pensions to live independently. In Shanghai, 98% of elderly people rely on pensions to make a living.

Especially for those born after 1960, they are gradually entering their old age. In the next 8 years, the total number of these "new elderly" born in the 1960s will approach 210 million. 70% of them live in cities, and the vast majority of them are proficient in using mobile phones and can purchase various services through their phones. These post-60s are constantly breaking our traditional impression of the elderly population in terms of consumption concepts and behaviors. They have high consumption enthusiasm, diversified consumption scenarios, and are familiar with the Internet and electronic products. Their demand in the spiritual and cultural levels is more vigorous. The "new and elderly" born in the 1960s may become the fastest growing group in China's consumer market in the next 10 years.

What changes will happen to the consumption concepts of these "new elderly" born in the 1960s? Focusing on health and improving quality of life has become a new development trend.

Let me give an example. In the Nordic country of Finland, winters are particularly long and cold, with more elderly people suffering from depression. So, in Finnish communities, there are dedicated fitness coaches who exercise and do exercises with the elderly, and the elderly at home can exercise with the coaches through television or computer videos. This kind of interaction not only strengthens communication, but also increases opportunities for the elderly to exercise, which is part of the social welfare provided by the government for the elderly. In China, there are also many short videos of coaches practicing yoga and doing exercises with the elderly. If the elderly are organized offline to participate in various sports exercises or other activities, the fees are also very low.

These expenses were not present in the past, but now the new generation of elderly people are beginning to have new needs that are different from traditional elderly care in the past. Meeting these needs can make their elderly life more fulfilling and beautiful.

"Home service provides a greater sense of security and independence"

In the eyes of the elderly, what is a good old age life? That is safer, more independent, and more dignified.

Providing door-to-door services is an important part of improving the quality of life for the elderly. Why do elderly people need door-to-door services? Why link various services to your home? Because at home, it is up to the elderly to make their own decisions, which gives them a sense of security and independence.

There is a virtual nursing home in Chengguan District, Lanzhou, Gansu. It breaks a restriction that one does not have to go to the nursing home, but can also enjoy the same elderly care services at home. In the dispatch and command center of the virtual nursing home, staff dispatch orders based on the elderly information and service items displayed on the screen. The franchise enterprise immediately sends relevant personnel to rush to the elderly's home for service within 30 minutes. The virtual nursing home satisfies the desire of the elderly to stay at home and is affectionately referred to as a "nursing home without walls" by the elderly. For example, an elderly person living alone can provide over 150 elderly care services in four major areas: timely delivery of nutrition packages, regular home visits by general practitioners, medical care, mental comfort, and emergency rescue.

Home medical care is the most needed service for the elderly. In the past, to take the elderly to the hospital for medical treatment, children had to take half a day off first. If an elderly person lives in a building without an elevator, they still have to carry them downstairs, sit in a wheelchair, and push them to the hospital. This process of seeking medical treatment is very complicated. Nowadays, a new form of service has emerged, which is to deliver medical services to the homes of elderly people, such as door-to-door blood tests, tube replacements, and injections. Of course, this requires a prescription from the hospital, and in order to ensure the safety of the medication, professional nurses must also provide on-site services.

Today, the Internet platform and door-to-door service have brought great convenience to meet the daily medical service needs of the elderly. In Taiyuan, Mr. Shi, 68 years old, was unable to move due to spinal cord injury several years ago, so he needed to do acupuncture and moxibustion physiotherapy every week. In the past, I used to have to ask my son for leave to take him to the hospital for treatment, but starting from July 2022, he made appointments with doctors from the community service center on the government's elderly care service cloud platform to provide him with physical therapy services. Not only convenient, but also cost-effective. Through third-party evaluation, Mr. Shi meets the conditions and can enjoy the government's bottom line discount. He can enjoy a free on-site service of 400 yuan per month, and Mr. Shi spends all his time on physical therapy.

Home medical care is one of the services that seniors need the most.

In addition, Mr. Shi can also choose other on-site service projects at his own expense as needed. According to staff from the Elderly Care Department of Taiyuan Civil Affairs Bureau, on-site services include medical assistance, walking assistance, cleaning assistance, and other projects, with a total of 57 sub items, all of which are clearly priced. For example, a haircut costs 50 yuan, home cleaning and cleaning costs 50 yuan per hour, a nurse comes to the door for a muscle injection costs 20 yuan, a blood test costs 50 yuan, and blood sugar monitoring costs 20 yuan.

Visiting to help elderly people with limited mobility take showers has become a new service that has gradually emerged in recent years. In many big cities such as Taiyuan, Beijing, and Chongqing, you can see the busy figures of bath assistants. At the beginning, many elderly people did not accept this new thing, but as long as they experienced it once, many elderly people would demand long-term door-to-door service. Many of these companies that provide assisted bathing services are founded by young people. They bring their own bathing equipment to the door, usually in groups of three people. Some are responsible for bathing, some are responsible for chatting with the elderly, and some are responsible for monitoring their blood pressure. The old man lay in a large bathtub, as if sleeping in bed. Such a professional assisted bathing company can provide services of 4 to 5 orders per day. The charging price varies from over 100 yuan to 500 yuan depending on the assisted bathing project.

For elderly people who are disabled or semi disabled, taking a shower becomes a very important need when it becomes something that cannot be done for a long time. Not taking a shower for a long time can have a significant impact on the dignity, personal feelings, and health of the elderly. In foreign countries, assisted bathing services emerged as early as the 1990s. At the beginning, our country also used imported or specially made shower trucks, which were equivalent to taking a bath in a box truck. There are also many inconveniences when driving a bathing car into the community and then carrying the elderly down from upstairs to take a shower. So, providing bathing services in a familiar home environment for the elderly, family members can provide timely psychological counseling to the elderly on the side, and bathing will make the elderly feel much more comfortable.

Although it can be said that elderly care can also be accommodated, it is better to make the elderly more dignified, independent, and able to enjoy the elderly care process, isn't it?

Grandparents can also experience cutting-edge technology

In addition to basic medical care and daily needs, nowadays, more and more elderly people are no longer satisfied with simple daily life, but actively embrace technological products and enjoy a higher quality of life brought by high technology. For example, intelligent aging adaptation allows the cup to automatically move to the hands of the elderly. Elderly people can also play with smart devices and experience cutting-edge technology, which provides huge space for the continuous upgrading and high-quality development of various elderly products and services.

There are now applications of intelligent technologies that can encourage elderly people to return to society and participate in various social activities. For example, the exoskeleton system involves attaching auxiliary machinery and robots to the elderly, helping them enhance their support, mobility, and improve their quality of life. The exoskeleton system was first applied on the assembly line of German automobile factories. Some elderly technicians have rich work experience, but in the high-intensity working environment of the assembly line, their bodies cannot withstand enormous work pressure. So, the factory adjusted the lighting and height of the technician's seat to prevent damage to the technician's waist; At the same time, some auxiliary systems with exoskeletons will be added to alleviate the technician's work pressure and further extend their working experience. The application of this new technology enables older people to participate more in work and social life.

The application of exoskeleton systems is closely related to the needs of the elderly. For example, some elderly people are worried about falling while carrying things, and the installation of an exoskeleton system can enhance their leg support ability and achieve smooth walking. There is also an exoskeleton system that can be used to strengthen the support of the waist and back, helping elderly people with waist diseases stand up from bed. With the increasing demand of the elderly, the exoskeleton system will also develop many new functions. There is an interactive process between the development of this product and the needs of the elderly. Anyway, the application of exoskeleton systems will make the elderly safer and provide more convenience. There is enormous potential for the development of this technology.

There is also a home intelligent alarm system that can contribute to the safety of the elderly. For example, in elderly apartments in Japan, South Korea, and the United States, infrared facilities are installed in the bedrooms of the elderly. If the elderly person does not get out of bed for a certain period of time, the infrared device will issue a warning. After receiving the alarm, the community service center will immediately send someone to check if the elderly person has any physical condition. After installing this system in the toilet, if the elderly stay in the toilet for too long, the device will also issue a warning. Such elderly safety warning systems are commonly installed in nursing homes or elderly apartments, but now they are also applied to home-based elderly care. Some communities in Beijing offer such elderly safety warning services, which can be provided by installing corresponding equipment at home for a certain amount of money each month. When the system issues an alarm, staff will come to inspect and inquire about the relevant situation within a few minutes.

The application of these intelligent technologies provides more possibilities for the elderly to enjoy their retirement life.

Today's elderly people have an increasing demand for cultural life.

"Enjoy a dignified and quality old age life"

The consumption demand for elderly care services is actually age specific. The required service content varies greatly among different ages.

Before the age of 70, 70% to 95% of elderly people consider themselves to be basically healthy and healthy. The elderly's demand for elderly care services is more reflected in their quality of life, cultural and spiritual life, and social participation.

The traditional consumption of elderly care services is to solve the problem of clothing, food, housing, and transportation, while today's elderly are more diversified in their consumption of elderly care services. In November 2021, the "Opinions of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council on Strengthening the Work on Aging in the New Era" clearly proposed to "rely on the National Open University to establish a National University for the Elderly, and build a national platform for sharing elderly education resources and public services.". On March 3, 2023, the National University for the Elderly was officially established. It will integrate all resources of elderly education and incorporate them into the lifelong education system.

What can I learn in a national senior university? In addition to its general educational function, national senior universities have a main form of learning called study tours. The so-called study tour is a combination of traveling and learning. For example, the senior university organized a study tour to Jingdezhen. After registering to participate, the students will reside in Jingdezhen for a period of time, go to the workshop to learn about the entire ceramic firing process and painting techniques, and the elderly can also make their own favorite works and bring them home.

For example, in the tea art study tour, the elderly can stay on the tea mountain for a week, follow the tea farmers to grow, pick, make, and taste tea, and finally bring back the tea they have picked and made to give to family and friends. The elderly have learned tea art knowledge and improved their cultural cultivation. The process of studying abroad is a major form of education in senior universities, and it is also a new form of senior tourism that can meet the cultural needs of the elderly.

After the age of 80, the number of disabled and semi disabled elderly people gradually increases, and their demand is more for long-term care services. Especially for some elderly people who suffer from Alzheimer's disease or are bedridden, in addition to medical needs, the cost of care increases sharply. If it is necessary to hire two caregivers to take care of the elderly, the nursing expenses will exceed the elderly's pension after a month. How to solve the problem of nursing expenses? China has been piloting the establishment of long-term care insurance systems in 49 cities since 2016. Targeting insured individuals who have been in a long-term state of disability as beneficiaries, the focus is on addressing the costs of basic living care and medical care for severely disabled individuals. Designated nursing institutions dispatch trained and qualified nursing staff to provide professional nursing services to the elderly. Shanghai is increasingly comprehensive and improving in the establishment and implementation of the long-term care insurance system.

At present, the long-term care insurance system covers 140 million people and has helped over 8 million families. It provides care services for disabled elderly people, reduces the economic burden on these families, and also allows more elderly people to enjoy a dignified and quality life in their later years.