Bathinginthesunlight.CuncaoChunhui,orGreatnessofMaternalLove,setsagoodexampleforcommunity-basednursingservicesforseniorswhodon’ttravelfarfromhome.However,manychallengeshinderwidespreadusageofsuchamodel.
At3:00p.m.,CuncaoChunhuibustleswithvariousentertainmentactivities.Someplaymahjongonthesecondfloor.Tomotivatehealthyliving,thenursingcenterhasformulatedastrictscheduleforitsresidents.TheOldFolksHome
Acelebratoryaurahoveredovertheseniorcenteronthe10thblockofHepingJiayuan(HomeofPeace)inBeijing’sChaoyangDistrict,laughterandcheersreverberatingthroughtheair.NormallyquietMr.GuanvolunteeredtoperformPekingOpera.Whenheleftthestage,hereceivedwarmapplauseandcheersandbowedtoapictureonthewall.“Whatareyoudoing?”askedanurse.“It’sanicepainting!Ijustwantedtoshowmyrespect.”
GuanformerlyservedasaguestprofessorattheCentralAcademyofFineArts.Today,hesuffersfromslightdementia,whichcauseshimto“showrespect”toanypaintinghepassesasifitwasamasterpiece.Hisconditionisthereasonheresidesintheprivately-operatednursingcenterknownasCuncaoChunhui(GreatnessofMaternalLove).
WangXiaolongandfourofhisclassmatesfromthecollegefoundedthenursinghomein2011withaninvestmentofover10millionyuan.Itsfloorspaceof1,700squaremetersincludesoffices,livingquarters,arehabilitationcenter,diningroom,employeedorms,andbedsfor100disabledandsemi-disabledelderlyfromsurroundingcommunities.Moreover,itprovidesprofessionalcareservicesforsome5,000seniorcitizensintheneighborhood.
Theseniorcenterisawelcomeoasisformanysilver-hairedguests,andMr.Guanisnotanoutlier.Mrs.Li,inhereighties,isanotherexample.Althoughherchildrenliveinthesamecommunity,theydon’thavethetimetotakecareofherduringthedaybe-causeofwork.Theycometovisithereverydayafterworkandthengohome.
Thecenterisalsohometosomecouplesthatmovedtheretogetherbecausetheycouldneedhospitaltreatmentatanytime.Easyaccesstoseveraltophospitalsandwell-facilitatedmedicalservicesinthelocalcommunitymeettheneedsofmanyseniors,forwhomtravelinglongdistancestoreceivemedicalcareisamajorordeal.
Residentsspendtheirdaysresting,eating,exercising,andreceivingmedicalcare.Eachday’scafeteriaofferingsareannouncedonanelectronicscreeninfrontofthebuildingsopeoplestillgetchoicesfortheirlow-costmeals.
PlatformforProvidingfortheAged
FounderWangXiaolongstillremembershuntingforaplaceforhisfatherafterhewasstruckbyearlyonsetdementia.MostestablishedhomesinBeijingrejectedthepatientcitingriskanddifficultiesprovidingcare.
Wangmadeuphismindtoestablishaprofessionalnursingcenterforseniorswithdisabilities,whichseemedlikeamajorvoidinthemarket.Tofigureouthowtomakeithappen,WangmadeaninvestigativetriptoJapanandwasgreatlyinspiredbyitscommunitynursingcenters.
“InJapan,communitynursinginstitutionsconnectvariousnursingresources,somethingfromwhichChinawithahugepopulationcanlearn,”assertsWang.
TheconceptforCuncaoChunhuiwasfirstageneralserviceplatformforprofessionalcareforseniorsmorethansimplyaretirementhome.
WangXiaolongdecidedtofollowinstitutionalnursingpatternsafterfactoringinpaymentabilityandChinesepublic’slackofawarenessofprofessionalnursing.Comparedtooldernursinginstitutionswhicharecomparativelyindependent,hisnursingcenterismoreconnectedtothelocalcommunityandprovidesnotonlyaccommodationsbutalsoindividualservicesaccordingtoneighborhoodneeds.
HomeofPeace,theareawhereWang’snursingcenterislocated,isaresidentialareawithanabnormallylargepopulationofseniorcitizens.Everybuildingissixstoriesandlackselevators.Wang’snursingcenterprovidesseniorswithservicesrangingfromfooddelivery,dailyhealthcare,andsocializationtopreventativemedicaltreatmentandfreehomerepair.Italsosponsorsvariousactivitiesforseniorssuchascharityclinics,artperformances,andvolunteercampaigns.
Databacksthecenter’ssuccess.Asaprivatenursinginstitutionforcommunities,thecenterhasbeencitedasamodelprojectbythemunicipalgovernmentofBeijingandhasalongwaitinglist.
ReadyfortheSeniorBoom
InmodernChina,community-basednursingserviceswillsurelyalleviatethetensionexertedbythelargeelderlypopulationonrequiredresourcesandconditions.
Thelateststatisticsshowthatbytheendof2014,seniorsoverage60numbered212million,accountingfor15.5percentofChina’stotalpopulation.AspredictedbytheWorldHealthOrganization,by2050,35percentoftheChinesepopulationwillbemorethan60yearsold,makingthecountrytheepicenterforagingglobally.
Theagingdilemmawillundoubtedlypresentnewchallengesinprovidingfortheelderly.Statisticsfrom2014showthattherearemorethan40,000nursinginstitutionsinChina,includingnursinghomes,seniorsapartmentbuildingsandwelfarehousing,withbeddingcapacityof3.9million.Consideringthetotalelderlypopulation,20.5bedsareavailableforeach1,000seniors.
InJuly2012,China’sMinistryofCivilAffairspromulgatedSuggestionsontheImplementationofEncouragingandGuidingPrivateCapitalinServicesfortheAged,offeringcertainsubsidiesfortheconstructionandoperationofnon-profitnursinginstitutionsorservicefacilitiesfoundedwithprivatecapital,withhopesofdevelopingsocialforcesasthebackboneoftheelderlynursingindustry.
Thegovernment’smovehascreatedmorehopeforprivatenursinginstitutionslikeCuncaoChunhui.“AchessboardofbrandsandfranchiseswilleventuallyblanketcitieslikeBeijing,someplaceswithonlyafewdozenbedsandotherswithmorethan200,”continuesWang.“Notonlydosuchinstitutionsprovidesustainable,professionalservicesforseniorcitizensinlocalcommunities,theyofferwonderfulbrandingopportunitiesthatwillacceleratethedevelopmentofthenursingindustry.”