Young and old unite in sunny senior home

China is among those with an aging population. By the end of 2017, China had 241 million people over 60 years old, accounting for 17.3 percent of the country's total population.

This number is expected to peak at 487 million around 2050, making up 34.9 percent of the total population by then.

The growing senior population is a sign of the country's health and medical improvements. But the elderly need more choices of social activities to live happy and healthy lives.

Honoring the tradition of filial piety in the face of its aging population, China has been working to better protect elderly's rights and interests, including legal amendments that require citizens to visit their elderly parents and not to ignore their spiritual needs.

"This out-of-the-box thinking has helped promote the development of senior care services," said Zhuo Yongyue, director of integrated medical care and senior care under the China Association of Social Welfare and Senior Service.

"By recruiting young people as resident volunteers at a significantly lower rent price, it injects a flow of vibrant energy into the otherwise monotonous home as well as improves the young people's quality of life."

The mingling of the old and young also pushes the care center to improve its service quality and to cater to increasing client demands for more refined and personalized services, said the chairman of Green Healthcare Group, operator of the companionship program.

The program also sets an example to help encourage society to care for our elderly, he said.

Sunny Home houses 14 volunteers despite the fact that rooms in nursing homes are still scarce and in high demand.

The youngest of all is Wu Kai, who was born in 1998. Raised by his grandparents, the 20-year-old college student feels naturally close to the senior "homies."

"I hope to work in senior care or related sectors after I graduate," Kai said. "It is a privilege for me to spend time with the elderly."

"After all, we will all grow old someday," he said.

And the sentiment is mutual as the benefits go both ways.

Grandpa Hao who lives upstairs to Yang has become a close friend despite the age difference. In Yang's absence, the grandfather who has begun to suffer mild memory loss would search the complex asking: "Where did Teacher Big Hai go?"

When Teacher Big Hai works overtime, Grandpa Hao saves an egg from his supper or buy some fruit for the young man after he gets home.

"While sharing their savvy mastery of smartphone apps and the Internet, the youngsters learn from the rich life experience of the older generation," said Jia Ximin, PR manager of Sunny Home.

"The elderly treat us as if we were their own children," Shan said. "They even want to spoil us by offering to do our laundry!"

Yang said: "If one day I get married and move out, I will always come back to visit and do calligraphy with them."