China News Service, Beijing, March 6 (Reporter Li Tengfei) How to improve the quality of life and happiness of Chinese elderly in nursing homes?
Wu Weishan, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and vice chairman of the Central Committee of the Democratic League, told a reporter from China News Service that nursing homes should be turned into cultural paradises by creating special projects.
Photo provided by interviewee Wu Weishan, member of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference
In recent years, the proportion of China's elderly population has continued to rise. As of the end of 2022, the country's elderly population aged 60 and above has exceeded 280 million. The development of nursing homes has attracted increasing social attention.
However, the life in many nursing homes is monotonous, the management is closed, and the lack of human touch makes many elderly people unwilling to live in nursing homes.
"A nursing home is not a hospital, it must have a sense of life." Wu Weishan suggested that nursing homes can be equipped with different cultural projects based on the interests and hobbies of the elderly, such as music, chess, calligraphy and painting, music and dance, etc.; where conditions permit, nursing homes can also be equipped with different cultural programs based on the interests and hobbies of the elderly. According to their interests and hobbies, "specialist" nursing homes should be established, such as sports nursing homes, art nursing homes, chess and card nursing homes, etc., so that the elderly can find a sense of belonging and fun in common interests.
In addition, Wu Weishan said that the elderly can be encouraged to bring their personal furniture and decorations into nursing homes to develop a personalized living environment and make life in nursing homes more "home-like".
Wu Weishan believes that energetic and professional elderly people enter nursing homes and serve as both members and teachers. They can not only enrich the lives of the elderly around them, but also serve as extracurricular tutors in primary and secondary schools to spread the excellent traditional Chinese culture and science and technology.
Wu Weishan said that building nursing homes into "humanistic paradises" for the elderly can improve the quality of life of the elderly and promote the development of local cultural tourism.
Art nursing homes can regularly hold cultural activities such as art exhibitions and concerts to attract relatives of the elderly and even tourists to visit and experience; sports nursing homes can hold competitions to showcase the vitality of the elderly; specialty nursing homes can also be combined with local tourism, catering and other industries to bring The elderly care industry extends into the existing cultural and tourism industry chain to achieve a win-win situation for both social and economic benefits.
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