'They are independent individuals and have the right to choose their own way of life'

Chen Xingyan, president of NEY International Investment Group, which operates Evergreen Homeland, a continued care retirement community in Shanghai

One important factor in convincing seniors to spend their twilight years in a retirement community rather than their own homes is to make them feel that they can decide their own lives instead of "being under control".

My team spent seven years visiting nearly 100 retirement communities globally to search for a model that could suit Chinese seniors' needs.