On October 21, the Ministry of Civil Affairs held a press conference entitled “Five Years of Civil Affairs,” where Deputy Director Li Yongxin from the Ministry’s Aging Services Department discussed the progress and achievements in elderly care services.

Li emphasized that the Ministry has been actively implementing the national strategy for addressing population aging, collaborating with various departments to enhance the policy framework for elderly care services, optimize the diversity of service provision, and strengthen comprehensive oversight. He noted the significant accomplishments in five key areas:

First, the policy framework has seen continuous improvement. The Ministry submitted documents for the improvement of the basic elderly care service system to the Central and State Offices, which for the first time provided a timeline and roadmap for ensuring all seniors have access to basic elderly care services. In partnership with the State Council, they also issued a policy document to promote the development of meals for the elderly, marking the first national-level effort to classify meal services for seniors as an essential component of social welfare. Additionally, they released comprehensive policy documents targeting the gaps in rural elderly care services and outlined systematic approaches to resolving workforce challenges in the sector. For the first time, the establishment of an elderly care law was included in the legislative planning of the 14th National People’s Congress. Furthermore, the Ministry implemented the first mandatory national standards for safety in elderly care facilities and elderly capacity assessment.

Second, the supply system for elderly care services is being continuously optimized. The Ministry has accelerated the development of home and community-based elderly care by initiating projects that supported the establishment of 347,000 family care beds across 184 project areas, benefiting 647,000 individuals with home care services. They also encouraged localities to create 413 demonstration networks for home and community care services at the county and district levels. To improve institutional elderly care services, they are optimizing the structure of care beds and enhancing the quality of public nursing homes. As of the end of Q2 this year, there are 410,000 various types of elderly care institutions and facilities nationwide, including 369,000 community-based facilities—doubling and increasing by 1.2 times, respectively, since 2019.

Third, the comprehensive supervision system has been strengthened. The Ministry has introduced joint regulations for elderly care institutions that encompass various aspects, including safety management, food safety, fire safety, risk prevention, and pre-payment management, creating a robust structure for oversight in elderly services. They have carried out safety inspections and rectifications, enhanced the fire safety standards for private elderly care institutions, and initiated special campaigns to combat fraud in elderly services, ensuring that seniors experience safer and more reliable care.

Looking ahead, Li stated that the Ministry will continue to deepen reforms in elderly care, improve the integrated service network at the county, town, and community levels, align supply and demand for elderly services, address gaps in rural care, and strengthen overall supervision. The goal remains to push for high-quality development and ensure elevated safety standards in elderly services.