Foreign capital enters region's senior care industry
An artistic rendering of the community.
The garden of one apartment
The first foreign-capital-financed senior living community in the Yangtze River Delta Ecology and Greenery Integration Demonstration Zone will open in September, providing cross-region senior care options for the elderly in Shanghai and the entire Yangtze River Delta region.
The senior community that will be called "Ardor Gardens" is located in Zhujiajiao, Qingpu District, with about 800 apartments that can accommodate around 1,300 residents.
With about 40 percent greenery coverage, Ardor Gardens will include senior-friendly designs in facilities, such as barrier-free doors accessible to people in wheelchairs, and eco-friendly features like solar water-heating systems on rooftops.
Smart technologies will be introduced into the community as well.
Robots will deliver meals to residents' doorways, and one-click alarm systems with positioning functions will enable staff to locate seniors in case of emergencies.
A living room in Ardor Gardens.
A patio surrounded by flowers.
The community will offer a range of facilities, such as fitness and yoga areas, a swimming pool, cafe, teahouse, reading room and health service center with the health records of every resident.
It will mainly serve seniors between the ages of 60 and 75 living in Shanghai and nearby cities who like traveling and pursuing a high-quality lifestyle, according to Lendlease, the community's foreign-funded developer and operator.
"China's high-end senior care industry is in startup mode but still not on a fast development track," said Ye Liming, deputy director of the Shanghai Services Federation and director of the Shanghai Senior Service Industry Association's senior care industry committee.
Foreign companies in the senior care sector are welcomed by government authorities in China, and the community is expected to provide international five-star senior care experiences for the elderly, Ye said.
"We hope more foreign-funded companies will participate in China's senior service industry, which is a good supplement to domestic senior care services, particularly in medium and high-end markets," he said.
