What they say

To make up for the shortfall in senior care professionals, I think local governments should improve awareness of the industry and guide young nursery workers to seek jobs at senior care institutions. Meanwhile, it would be feasible to launch training campaigns targeting the idle workforce in rural areas to enable such people to get jobs at elderly care facilities.

Li Nannan, staff member at a nursery care center in Nanjing, Jiangsu province, and a deputy to the 13th National People's Congress

Seniors are at high risk of developing underlying and chronic diseases, with many also suffering degenerative diseases and limited mobility. Integrating medical services with elderly care will be conducive to upgrading existing resources and providing comprehensive services for them.

Li Lu, head of the cardiology department at the Second Hospital Affiliated to Shenyang Medical College and a deputy to the 13th NPC

I suggest establishing criteria for national-level assessment and organizing regular inspections of senior care institutions. Operations of those that fail to meet standards should be suspended or their certificates revoked. It is also feasible to set up a blacklist of elderly care workers who are found to have violated the code of ethics.

An Ayue, head of the anorectal department at the Chinese Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences' Wangjing Hospital and a member of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference

It is important to boost care and social services for the elderly, such as accelerating the development of healthcare robots designed to aid rehabilitation and safety monitoring, and building digital platforms tailored to meet the demands of seniors.

Liu Qingfeng, chairman of artificial intelligence company iFlytek, and a deputy to the 13th NPC