City offers a helping hand to seniors with cognitive disorders

A three-year public welfare campaign to create a friendly environment for seniors with cognitive disorders was launched in the city today.

The campaign comprises four projects – early screening for 300,000 seniors, training for more than 3,000 nursing workers, creating 500 cognitive disorder virtual reality (VR) intelligent experience scenes and 30 activities for those with cognitive disorders.

The campaign will be implemented by the CPIC Blue Foundation founded by China Pacific Insurance (Group).

The cognitive disorder VR intelligent experience scenes will be created in communities and senior service facilities, enabling the public to experience the life of seniors with dementia and promote related information.

The activities are designed to raise public awareness of cognitive disorders, create a friendly environment for those with such disorders and offer public welfare films and free medical consultation in communities.

Shanghai residents over the age of 60 comprise more than 35 percent of the permanent population. The Shanghai Civil Affairs Bureau estimates that about 300,000 locals suffer from dementia, and the figure is rising.

"This group of people needs care from society, and the city is actively trying to provide good care and nursing services," said Jiang Rui, deputy director of the bureau.

By the end of 2020, the city had more than 4,500 hospital beds for seniors with cognitive disorders.

The city also has 77 subdistricts and towns participating in a trial of friendly communities for this group of seniors launched in 2019. Risk evaluation and early intervention are conducted in these locations, which have also introduced non-medical interventions such as brain activation activities, music and art therapies based on seniors' cognitive disorder level and habits.

By the end of 2025, a standard for the construction of such friendly communities will be established.