Canteens dish up social care and food for elderly

At noon on Tuesday, some elderly residents gathered in a canteen for lunch at the Wanxing community of Dazu district in Chongqing.

Opened on July 6, it is the first senior canteen in the district, which mainly serves people aged 60 and over in nearby areas.

"It's very convenient for us to have lunch here. The dishes are tasty," said Zhou Kangming, 79, who is a resident of the community. His wife added that she likes to have small talk with neighbors during lunchtime. After that, they will play poker together, which brings her much delight.

In the city's other community — Xiangjia in Shapingba district — there is also such a canteen where 300 older people have meals every day. The canteen has gained wide recognition from senior residents due to its quality services and cheap but delectable food, local officials said.

A meal set including a meat dish and two vegetarian dishes, for example, costs 12 yuan ($1.39). Meanwhile, the mess hall offers assorted wheaten foods that are priced at only 1 yuan such as baozi (steamed stuffed bun).

For low-income elderly people who dine at the canteen, they can receive a meal subsidy of 7 yuan every day.

In addition, the canteen has created special menus for seniors with chronic diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure.

They also deliver about 60 meals every day to the elderly who have mobility issues or live on minimum subsistence insurance.

According to the Chongqing Civil Affairs Bureau, the city is pushing forward with an elderly care program to ensure every district or county has a senior canteen by August.

The senior canteen is supposed to be built in communities with a large elderly population and can accommodate at least 50 people, said local officials from the bureau.

Districts and counties can utilize local resources such as elderly care institutions and social workers to provide integrated services including dining, nursing care and recreational activities, officials added.

Senior canteens like these have sprouted up across the country as the aging population is expanding at a fast rate.

Currently, Qingdao in Shandong province has 276 organizations dedicated to providing meals for the elderly. The number is expected to reach 1,100 this year.

East China's Anhui province plans to set up 2,500 senior canteens and 1,500 village-level elderly care service stations in 2023, according to its civil affairs authorities.

Industry analysts said that most senior canteens feature a clean environment and delicious dishes at low prices, and therefore can satisfy old people, especially those with diseases or in economic hardship.

For seniors without a caregiver, the canteen offers them a venue where they can enjoy food and make friends, industry experts said.

According to China's development plan (2021-25) for the elderly care system, governments at different levels should introduce clear policies on senior canteens' construction, operation and regulation, advancing their sustainable development.

More market entities including private companies are encouraged to be involved in senior canteens' management and governments should provide policy support such as rent and tax cuts, the plan said.