Seniors take advantage of elderly center offerings

Senior citizens in Hufu town in Yixing, Jiangsu province, tend to enjoy their days at the local elder service center, according to officials.

Located in the south of Yixing city in Wuxi in Jiangsu province, Hufu has a warm and friendly environment.

In 2014, the local government built the Hufu elderly care center, adopting a model that combines government guidance with local input from the town.

The center has a team of volunteers consisting of retired teachers, workers and farmers.

He Yuxiang, an 82-year-old local retired middle school teacher, said he has been at the center as a volunteer for the past four years.

"I come here to serve other senior citizens and spend my leisure time," He said, adding that he helps to write articles about and take photos of the regular activities at the center.

Every day, the center helps about 400 people who live in the town, he said.

"They can take a free bus to come here for lunch," He said.

In addition, doctors from hospitals in Yixing and Wuxi cities come to the center to conduct regular physical examinations for the seniors every year, He added.

With annual funding support of more than 2 million yuan ($290,007) from the social aging development foundations in Yixing, the center runs a not-for-profit canteen for seniors over 60 years old and offers free courses including calligraphy and photography to entertain them.

Xu Hongnian, a local farmer, said he comes to the center every day to have lunch and enjoy the many activities.

Xu said he lives in nearby Fuxi village and each day he drives six kilometers from his home to the center to have fun and relax.

"We only need to pay 2 yuan for lunch," Xu said.

"I'm satisfied with the center because of its services and activities, like reading and dancing, which enable us to make friends and enjoy our lives," Xu said.

"The excellent surroundings attract us here."

The center is a welfare project created by the local government to meet the requirements of senior citizens, said He Jing, an official from the foreign affairs office of Yixing city.

To date, the center has received 350,000 visits from seniors by offering meals, training and entertainment, she said.

Currently, Yixing has 30 elderly service organizations and 302 service outlets.

It has 99 centenarians and the number of people over 60 years old account for 27.34 percent of the total population of the city, according to the publicity department of Yixing city.

(China Daily 12/05/2018 page18)