China-Singapore Online, Shanghai, February 7th: Under the background of accelerated aging, experts pointed out that "migratory bird-style elderly care" is a rare opportunity to develop the silver-haired economy

　　Reporter Xu Jing

　　Grandpa Li, who lives in Putuo District, Shanghai, and his wife, Grandma Qin, returned to Shanghai from Hainan before their granddaughter started school on February 15. They packed their bags and went to Hainan after their granddaughter’s winter vacation in January. The old couple wants to spend the winter when the weather gets cold in November, and we like a warmer place in winter when we are older." Grandma Qin, who is nearly 70 years old, speaks quickly.

　　Like Grandpa Li and Grandma Qin, there are not a few elderly people who go to Sanya, Xiamen, Dali and other cities to buy properties after retirement.

As the seasons change, they take a period of time every year to go to a place with a more comfortable environment for health preservation and vacation. This kind of pension method that integrates health services, tourism, leisure, and cultural entertainment is called "migratory bird pension".

At present, many elderly care institutions are exploring the "migratory bird-style elderly care" model, which may become a future trend.

　　During the Shanghai Two Sessions in 2023, Shi Heping and Xu Bing, members of the Shanghai Municipal People's Political Consultative Conference, jointly submitted a proposal, proposing that the aging society in the Yangtze River Delta region has a higher degree of development and a faster development speed, and it is recommended to establish a Yangtze River Delta residential pension base; Ningxia It was proposed in January that this year it will continue to explore the development of two-way health care and residential care with Fujian, Guangdong, Shanxi, Yunnan and other provinces as the leading demonstrations, and simultaneously promote the north-south interaction in spring, summer and autumn. speed up.

　　According to the seventh census, in 2020, China will have 190 million people aged 65 and over, accounting for 13.5% of the total population, exceeding 10% for the first time.

As the first super-large city in China to enter an aging society, as of December 31, 2021, the registered elderly population aged 60 and above in Shanghai reached 5.4222 million, accounting for 36.3% of the total registered population.

　　Rapid aging has brought new challenges to the construction of China's elderly care service system. The increasing number of elderly people with different needs has also made all walks of life pay attention to other better and more advanced ways of providing for the elderly besides traditional methods such as home care and nursing homes. The old-age care model is gradually becoming the "new favorite" of many elderly people.

　　According to Luo Shougui, a professor at the Antai College of Economics and Management of Shanghai Jiaotong University, for the relevant cities, "migratory bird-style retirement" is a rare opportunity to develop the silver-haired economy, and they should make forward-looking plans and provide rich vacation products.

At the same time, we must actively respond to new situations and new problems in urban management, such as the medical and public security pressure brought about by the "impulsive population" and the revitalization of idle facilities after the flow of people ebbs.

　　Luo Shougui went to Beihai, Guangxi for research a few years ago. After meeting an old man from Jilin, he began to study the issue of "migratory bird-style" elderly care.

He still remembers the old man saying that winter in the Northeast comes early, and it starts to get a little cold after the National Day, and it doesn't really get warm until after Labor Day next year.

After they retired, they began to try to escape the cold in the south, and lived a "migratory bird life" ranging from one to two months to five or six months.

　　"'Migratory bird-style old-age care' has a long history in the world, especially in winter, the elderly in the northern United States go to Florida and Hawaii for vacation, the elderly in Hokkaido, Japan go to Okinawa to avoid the cold, and the elderly in Northern Europe and Eastern Europe go to Spain and the Mediterranean coast for the winter. The scale is very considerable. .” Luo Shougui introduced.

　　However, the transnational "migratory bird-style elderly care" has its natural disadvantages - not only the cost is high, the visa procedures are relatively cumbersome, but also the distance is long, which consumes a lot of physical strength for the elderly.

　　"Our research has found that China is not only a resource-rich country for 'migratory bird-style care', but also a country with great demand for 'migratory-style care for the elderly'." Luo Shougui analyzed that China has a vast territory, spanning the temperate zone, subtropical zone and tropical zone from north to south, and can provide temperature in both winter and summer. Widely diverse habitats.

At the same time, the pronounced continental climate has greatly enhanced the temperature difference. For the elderly in China, with an air ticket or a high-speed rail ticket in hand, they can realize the leap of seasons in a few hours.

"You can realize the 'migratory bird-style elderly care' without going abroad. This life experience can greatly enhance the satisfaction and happiness of the elderly."

　　Luo Shougui said frankly that although "migratory bird-style elderly care" has a promising future, it also needs more scientific support, especially habitat selection requires better systematic planning.

"Different from general tourism, 'migratory bird-style retirement' can be as short as a few weeks or as long as several months. Coupled with the fact that the elderly have different physical conditions, different economic conditions, different habitat landscapes and human preferences, it is necessary to study potential habitats. Do a system assessment."

　　"I believe that when the spring returns to the land, the 'migratory bird-style elderly care' will become more prosperous. While hundreds of millions of elderly people reap the happiness of living in residence, consumer confidence can be strongly boosted, and consumption vitality is expected to be fully released." Luo Shougui said.

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