A senior receives care service at home in Chongqing, southwest China, December 2, 2021 (Photo/Xinhua)

Chongqing - Chongqing recently released the implementation plan for elderly care service consumption subsidies for seniors with moderate or severe disabilities, which, for the first time, provides care support in the form of consumption subsidies.

Kan Jilin, Director of the Chongqing Municipal Civil Affairs Bureau, said at a news conference on August 27 that, as of the end of 2024, the city has 8.01 million residents aged 60 and above, with an aging rate of 25.11%, 3.1 percentage points higher than the national average.

He noted that as the number of elderly in Chongqing continues to grow each year, the number of disabled elderly is also increasing rapidly. The disabled elderly are mainly those who, due to aging, illness, or injury, have partially or completely lost the ability to care for themselves. According to estimates, Chongqing has about 700,000 elderly people who are fully or partially disabled.

The plan allows the government to provide eligible seniors with subsidies for purchasing home-based, community, or institutional care services. Kan added that the program aims to encourage greater social investment in elderly care, accelerate industry development, and improve efficiency and service quality.

Chongqing has made significant progress in supporting elderly residents. All elderly care institutions now partner with medical facilities. The city has 176 integrated medical-elderly care institutions, providing a total of 51,000 beds.

Kan said the city has made enhancing care for the elderly with disabilities a top priority and continues to expand its capacity. Across the city, 52 district and county-level facilities provide support for persons in extreme poverty under the social assistance program, ensuring at least one facility per district or county.

Nursing beds now account for 67.4% of total beds in care institutions, surpassing the national average. More than 5,000 home-based elderly care beds have been added, and 39,000 households of seniors facing special hardships have received home modifications to improve accessibility.

Chongqing has also expanded the scope of its services. Currently, 24,000 destitute elderly people and low-income elderly with disabilities have been included in government-supported programs. The municipal government has issued a list of 20 basic elderly care services, including care subsidies, family support services, and the establishment of home-based care beds for seniors unable to care for themselves. In 2024, Chongqing provided a monthly eldercare subsidy of 200 yuan ($28.04) to 74,400 economically disadvantaged, high-age elderly people with disabilities.

In addition, the city is improving the quality of care. Twelve universities now offer geriatric nursing programs, and Chongqing has launched a pilot program for publicly funded students in smart elderly care, enrolling 100 students this year. Digital reforms are also underway. The city is piloting a comprehensive elderly care service platform and promoting the development of smart nursing homes and smart home-based care.