The industry is becoming more and more segmented, the equipment is more intelligent, and the professional level is getting higher and higher

The new profession of old-age care attracts young people, and the post-90s fancy service "post-90s"

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The new demand for elderly care services has spawned a series of new occupations. The elderly care service industry is developing in the direction of specialization and refinement, which not only requires higher capabilities for practitioners, but also attracts many young people to join the elderly care industry.

With the active response to the aging of the population as a national strategy, the traditional elderly care industry has accelerated its transformation and upgrading, and the new demand for elderly care services has given birth to new occupations such as "elderly bath assistant", "elderly companion" and "health care nurse", which has also made intelligent elderly care increasingly mature and elderly care equipment more advanced. A few days ago, the reporter visited and found that the elderly care service industry is developing in the direction of specialization and refinement, and the increasingly diversified needs put forward higher ability requirements for practitioners in the elderly care industry. At the same time, the emergence of new professions for the elderly has given many practitioners more employment options.

Young forces keep pouring in

"Xiaohui, the water pipe at home is repaired, I'll talk to you."

"Okay, Grandma Xu, you can find me at any time if there is anything."

......

At the Hepingli Community Elderly Care Service Station in Beijing's Dongcheng District, Yin Yuhui, born in 1992, has more than 500 grandparents, many of whom are in their 90s. This straightforward and enthusiastic girl from Weihai, Shandong Province, is not only the beloved granddaughter of the old people, but also their life housekeeper. From being sick to accompaniment, three meals a day, to buying diapers and making appointments for haircuts... The work of the post station is detailed and complicated, Yin Yuhui's phone is always ringing, but she can remember the name and basic information of each old man.

"They used to be young, but we weren't old, so we need a strong sense of empathy, and sometimes we need to bring in the perspective of the elderly to solve some problems." Talking about the post-90s to give the "post-90s" pension, Yin Yuhui has also experienced the process of passing her own pass.

At the beginning of day care for the elderly living alone, Yin Yuhui also constantly overcame obstacles: from enduring the smell to help the elderly clean up their excrement and change their clothes, to slowly getting used to it and working with their bare hands, "not wearing masks and gloves is to respect them and make them feel that they are not disliked."

There are 8 care specialists in the station, 7 of which are post-90s or even post-00s graduates of pension-related majors. Liu Rui, born in 1999, came to work at the station after graduating from the major in geriatric service and management.

Unlike in her hometown of Baoding Rural Hebei, Liu Rui sees the future prospects of the pension industry, her own growth and sense of gain. Although the work is hard and trivial, the life experience and outlook on life passed on by the elderly are invaluable to her. "Taking care of a grandma meal at a time, she suddenly asked, 'Do you eat?' Haven't you eaten yet? Liu Rui's nose suddenly soured, it turned out that her grandmother was also thinking about her.

"The vitality and liveliness of young people can infect the elderly, and with young people, the mentality has become younger." Talking about the advantages of young people as a pensioner, Yin Yuhui remembered Grandma Zhao, who she took care of for two years. Grandma loves food, and Yin Yuhui took her to experience many firsts in her life: the first pizza, the first buffet, the first lobster... And in the process of getting along, Yin Yuhui also made up for the love of the elders who had been missing. "I can't tell who can't do without whom, grandma now has Alzheimer's, I just hope she doesn't forget me too quickly." Yin Yuhui's tears couldn't stop flowing.

There is still a gap in labor demand

How to choose a T-cane, how to use a crutch... In the elderly care training classroom of the "Auntie is Coming" housekeeping company, Qi Guiyun, a 53-year-old from Henan, carefully took notes and passed the pre-job training before he could go to work.

Yin Kaiyu, a trainer of post-90s elderly care workers, said that in the entire housekeeping industry, elderly care workers are not highly paid, it is difficult to attract young people to stay in front-line care positions, and the current main force is still 45~55 years old middle-aged group, and there is a big gap in the demand for front-line personnel. According to the "Analysis Report on the Employment Prosperity of Health Care Professionals" released by Renshe, a survey of practitioners in the field of health care in the country in 2020 showed that the proportion of people over 46 years old was the highest, at 53%.

In Yin Yuhui's view, the social recognition of the elderly care service industry is not high, resulting in many young people have been wandering in the process of hesitation. "If you are really interested, or you have already joined the industry, you may wish to try to persevere, and after time precipitation, you will find that you can really become a different version of yourself."

In order to adapt to the increasingly diversified new needs of the elderly, Yin Kaiyu is also constantly adjusting training courses: "In addition to the necessary skills such as life care, basic nursing, and common disease care, it also integrates the content of Japanese-style nursing care to improve the awareness of front-line personnel on elderly care services and better care for the elderly." ”

Lei Xiaojing is an elderly care worker in Beijing Ciaijia Elderly Care Service Co., Ltd. and has obtained the qualification of senior elderly care worker. "The elderly care industry is increasingly in need of skilled and professional talents, and we must continue to learn. In the future, it will be intelligent pension, and if you don't learn, you really can't keep up. Recently, the company has a new more advanced bath equipment, Lei Xiaojing has "touched" the machine in her spare time, she is willing to be a prepared person, can take orders at any time.

Services are becoming more sophisticated

"Grandma, your blood pressure has been measured, I will wipe your face now." Recently, at the Beijing Shijingshan District Long-term Care Insurance Pilot Nursing Service Skills Competition, Lei Xiaojing won the first place with his excellent professional skills and meticulous service attitude.

"Compared to before, there is now more emphasis on 'nursing' and the service lines are becoming more and more granular." Lei Xiaojing, 48, from Shangshui County, Zhoukou, Henan Province, has been working for more than ten years and has witnessed the variety of elderly care services from single to diversified, and the level of specialization has become higher and higher.

Taking the special service of long-term care insurance that Lei Xiaojing is currently responsible for as an example, there are 32 services for the elderly, including scrubbing bath, nasal feeding care, pressure ulcer prevention guidance, good limb positioning, turning over training, and monitoring vital signs.

In the past two years, the new profession of bathing assistant has become hot, and the demand is increasing, and Lei Xiaojing has also joined it, which not only gives her an extra income, but also receives more recognition. "Bathing the elderly requires mastering a lot of skills, monitoring vital signs, judging whether it is suitable for bathing, where to start washing, how to wash, all pay attention to it."

Lei Xiaojing can feel that people's perception of elderly care services is also changing: in the past, he thought that the elderly was "serving" the elderly, but now, his identity has changed from nanny and hourly worker to professional elderly care personnel.

Once, Lei Xiaojing came to the bathroom for a disabled elderly man in his 80s. At first, grandma was very resistant, and Lei Xiaojing slowly encouraged her, gently scrubbing and cleaning her body. Although Grandma couldn't speak, Lei Xiaojing saw a smile and gratitude in her eyes. "At that moment, she was warmed by me, and I was warmed by her gaze."

Gao Li, a pension housekeeper in the same company as Lei Xiaojing, also felt the changes in the industry. "Professional elderly care services are not simply laundry, cooking, cleaning, but can really help the elderly and their families." Gao Li said.

(Tang Shu, reporter of Workers' Daily)