Hexi district takes good care of its seniors

Hexi district in Tianjin is piloting upgraded systematic and smart services for the elderly, ranging from meals and housekeeping to healthcare.

At 9:30 a.m. in the morning on Thursday, Binxilou community was busy with elders having breakfast, playing chess, taking exercise, and having consultations.

The center provides about ten categories of services -- including abundant, freshly-cooked dishes and medical, housekeeping, educational and entertainment services.

Elders can enjoy governmental subsidies for having meals at the center, and other on-spot services such as consultations, watching movies and courses are free.

A real-time intelligent screen shows that over 1,000 seniors of the district had breakfast at the other 31 such centers in the district.

The intelligent screen is a result of the Hexi district government making joint efforts with the departments of public security, health commissioning, social security and more to make sure all the 180,000 elderly citizens' needs are properly met.

The platform provides sound decisions for the district to allocate resources and adjust services.

Now there are 45 community and street-level senior service centers in operation in the district. More are being planned to ensure there are service centers for all senior residents within 0.7 kilometers.

An investigation into the health, daily needs, and incomes of 200,000 elderly citizens in the district shows that ready meals are their most urgent need, followed by medical and housekeeping services.