Shanghai launches companion service for seniors amid growing aging population

Shanghai announced on Friday the launch of a companion service for all residents aged 60 and above, aimed at assisting seniors throughout medical treatments.

The service involves trained companions accompanying elderly individuals to healthcare facilities, helping them navigate medical procedures, facilitating communication with healthcare providers, offering psychological support, and reminding them to take prescribed medications.

According to the Shanghai Municipal Civil Affairs Bureau, the service is designed to address tasks that seniors may find difficult to manage on their own throughout the process.

Shanghai is one of the regions in China with the highest aging population. Official data showed that by the end of 2025, the city had 5.84 million residents aged 60 and above, accounting for nearly 38 percent of the registered permanent population. The number of seniors aged 80 and above increased to 895,600 from 860,000 in the previous year, highlighting the ongoing trend of an aging population.

In the meantime, an increasing proportion of these elderly residents' next generation are only children, a result of China's one-child policy implemented in 1980, which was relaxed in 2013 to allow two children for families in which one parent is an only child.

The new policy outlined that the companion service will be provided by senior care institutions and organizations specializing in medical companionship for the elderly. Each district's civil affairs bureau will publish a list of certified organizations, which is expected to expand as demand grows.

It also stipulated that such service providers must set reasonable prices, and clearly display service content, prices of items, and standards. For low-income seniors, districts are encouraged to include the companion service in the scope of elderly care subsidies.

Companions must undergo standardized training, acquiring basic health and care knowledge, and obtain a special vocational competency certificate. The civil affairs bureau particularly welcomes applicants with backgrounds or experience in nursing, healthcare, rehabilitation, pharmacy, and social work.