CCTV News: The Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council recently issued the "Opinions on Deepening the Reform and Development of Elderly Care Services" (hereinafter referred to as the "Opinions"), which proposed a series of major institutional innovations in response to the basic institutional arrangements related to the high-quality development of elderly care services and the deep-seated contradictions and problems currently exist.

Better meet the needs of multi-level and diversified elderly care services for the elderly

The "Opinions on Deepening the Reform and Development of Elderly Care Services" proposes that it is necessary to accelerate the improvement of the elderly care service network, optimize the supply pattern of elderly care services based on home, community-based, institutions-professional support, and medical care, strengthen basic elderly care services with focus on care for disabled elderly people, improve the hierarchical and classified, universal access, urban and rural areas, and sustainable development of the elderly care service system, strengthen the promotion of elderly health, promote the expansion and quality of elderly care services, further stimulate the vitality of the development of the elderly and the elderly care industry, and better meet the multi-level and diversified elderly care service needs of the elderly.

In 2035, my country's elderly care service system will be mature and established

The "Opinions" propose that by 2029, the elderly care service network will be basically completed, the service capacity and level will be significantly enhanced, significant progress will be made in expanding capacity, improving quality and efficiency, and the supply of basic elderly care services will be continuously optimized. By 2035, the elderly care service network will be more sound, the service supply and demand will be more coordinated and adapted, and all the elderly will enjoy basic elderly care services. The elderly care service system that is suitable for my country's national conditions will be mature and fixed.

Li Banghua, deputy director of the Elderly Care Service Department of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, said that the "Opinions" is the first guiding opinions on elderly care services issued in the name of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council. It has made forward-looking, systematic and overall arrangements for the development of elderly care services. It is a top-level design that promotes the high-quality development of elderly care services in the new era and promotes the maturity and standardization of my country's national conditions. It is a programmatic document for the construction of elderly care services at present and in the future.

Accelerate and improve the three-level elderly care service network covering urban and rural areas

The "Opinions on Deepening the Reform and Development of Elderly Care Services" proposes for the first time to accelerate the improvement of the three-level elderly care service network covering urban and rural areas, and promote the formation of a nearby and convenient service support system.

The "Opinions" proposes that it is necessary to build a county-level comprehensive elderly care service management platform, and on the basis of undertaking the function of bottom-line guarantee, it expands and strengthens comprehensive functions such as service demonstration, industry guidance, emergency assistance, resource coordination, etc., and coordinates the efficient use of county-level elderly care service resources; at the township (street) level, it is necessary to rely on township (street) nursing homes, high-quality private elderly care institutions, etc. to renovate and expand into regional elderly care service centers, give full play to the role of professional care, service referral, resource linkage, etc., to promote the linkage between the upper and lower levels, and promote supply and demand; at the village (community) level, the village (community) level should play the leading role of township (street) regional elderly care service centers, adopt "center + site" and other methods to vigorously develop embedded community elderly care service facilities and mutual aid elderly care service stations, improve elderly care service facilities in old communities, strengthen the comprehensive utilization with public service facilities such as education, health, and culture, and build a "one elderly and one young" service complex.

Li Banghua, deputy director of the Elderly Care Service Department of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, said that for the first time, accelerating the improvement of a three-level elderly care service network covering urban and rural areas will help strengthen the coordination of elderly care service resources within the county (district). The elderly care facilities within the entire county (district) are connected into a network, making services more convenient and accessible, and supply and demand more connected.