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A new model that provides both healthcare and elderly care for senior citizens was proposed recently in Beijing. More than 9,000 healthcare institutions are expected to get licenses to offer beds to the elderly.
Beijing has 608 hospitals and 1,897 community health service centers. Even if only half of them each provide 20 beds, it will result in an increase of 25,000 beds.
More than 80,000 beds are available for the elderly in the city, but almost 30 percent of beds are unoccupied. Most people prefer locations that offer good medical services and avoid those with bad reputations. Thus, some places are almost full while others have 50 percent of their beds unoccupied.
"Healthcare institutions should offer elderly care services and nursing homes should improve medical services," said Li Hongbing, deputy director of the municipal civil affairs bureau.
"With help from the civil affairs bureau, hospitals will be permitted to participate in elderly care services and provide the elderly with beds and caregivers," Li added.
Beijing’s elderly population comprises 20.3 percent of the city's total population. The proportion will increase to more than 30 percent in about 20 years, which means one in every three citizens will be elderly.
