China releases 5-year plan for elderly care services

BEIJING - China's State Council has released a plan for the development of the country's elderly care services system during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025), in its latest step to implement a national strategy to address population aging.

The plan specifies major goals and tasks for the five-year period, including expanding the supply of elderly care services, improving the health support mechanism for the elderly, and advancing the innovative and integrated development of service models.

It lists nine major indicators, such as the number of elderly care beds and the ratio of nursing care beds in elderly care institutions, to mobilize society as a whole to actively respond to population aging.

Detailed tasks include strengthening the safety net for elderly services, expanding inclusive services coverage, developing the silver economy, and safeguarding the legitimate interests of the aging population.

China will step up institutional innovation, and boost policy support and financial input to enable the elderly to share in China's development achievements, according to the plan.