The silver economy: Shanghai's innovative solutions to the aging population challenge

China will refine the policies and mechanisms for developing elderly care programs and industries to address population aging, according to the "Resolution" of the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Party.

This includes developing the silver economy, as well as boosting the supply of basic elderly care services.

In an exclusive interview with Shanghai Daily, Associate Professor Pan Zehan, Vice Director of the Institute for Population Research at Fudan University, talks about the challenges brought by population aging to Shanghai's city service system, and how the city is responding with innovation.

Shanghai Daily: What is the basic composition of the elderly care service system in Shanghai?

Pan: Shanghai's elderly care service system is quite comprehensive. It includes three levels of service. The first one is a home-based service. The second one is a community-based service. And the third one is institutional options. Besides, this system integrates these different levels with regular checkups and consultations.

Shanghai Daily: What challenges do the aging population pose to Shanghai's urban service system? How should we respond to such challenges?

Pan: The aging population in Shanghai brings several challenges. There's a higher demand for health care services due to the prevalence of chronic disease in the elderly. We also face a shortage of professional caregivers and need more elderly-friendly facilities and infrastructure. The economic burden can strain both public finances and family resources.

To address these challenges, we should enhance training programs for professional caregivers and invest in healthcare facilities. Preventive health care and encouraging healthy lifestyles can help reduce chronic diseases, implementing supportive policies and providing financial assistance to families and institutions are also crucial steps.

Shanghai Daily: What innovations are there in the actual operation of Shanghai's urban elderly care service system?

Pan: Shanghai has introduced several innovative approaches to elderly care. One key innovation is digital elderly care services. This includes apps and wearable devices that monitor health, track medication, and provide emergency alerts.

Shanghai has also adopted the Five-Bed Collaboration. It integrates hospital beds, nursing home beds, rehabilitation beds, community care beds, and family care beds. This system ensures a seamless transition between different care levels and greatly improves care efficiency and quality.

We also have some silver service stations in supermarkets and community areas, offering services such as self-service blood pressure measurement, free wheelchair rentals, and complimentary drinking water.

Shanghai Daily: You are an expert studying population migration. In your opinion, how do immigrants affect Shanghai's urban elderly care system?

Pan: Migrants to Shanghai are mainly of working age. They enhance the supply of social security resources by boosting fiscal revenue, increasing social insurance funds, and providing labor forces.

However, they typically use these social security resources to a limited extent. This limited utilization means migrants effectively provide cross-subsidies for local elderly residents, especially those with lower socioeconomic status.

Shanghai Daily: The "Resolution" of the Third Plenary Session of the Party's 20th Central Committee proposed for the first time to "implement the systems for allowing people to obtain household registration and access basic public services in their place of permanent residence". How will this affect the migration of people within China and Shanghai's city services?

Pan: The implementation of allowing people to obtain household registration and access basic public services in their place of permanent residence will further promote the quality of China's organization and make accessibility more equalized.

This system will likely lead to increased migration as more people may move to cities like Shanghai for better opportunities and services. However, this will also bring financial challenges for the Shanghai government as the cross-subsidies from the migrants without Shanghai hukou, or household registration, will decrease.

Shanghai Daily: Compared to cities abroad, what are the strengths and weaknesses of Shanghai's urban elderly care system?

Pan: Shanghai's elderly care service system has several strengths. It has made significant strides in integrating medical care with elderly care and providing comprehensive services. The use of digital technologies in elderly care is also a notable stress. Additionally, there's a strong community involvement with community-based care services, supporting elderly residents.

However, there are weaknesses, too. Resource constraints and limited facilities can be an issue, compared to some advanced cities abroad. There's also a significant shortage of professional caregivers. Accessibility remains a challenge, particularly for the floating older populations without Shanghai hukou and those trailing parents of migrants.

Shanghai Daily: Do you have any expectations and advice for Shanghai's urban elderly care system? How can we ensure these plans are effectively implemented and adapted to future changes?

Pan: With the aging population in Shanghai expected to accelerate over the next decade, it's crucial to adopt a comprehensive and systematic strategy.

First, we should make greater investments in facilities, training and technology to support elderly care.

Secondly, we should emphasize preventive healthcare measures to reduce the burden of chronic diseases.

Thirdly, we should enhance community networks to provide support and engagement opportunities for the elderly, encouraging partnerships between the public and private sectors to expand and improve care services.

And we should engage all stakeholders, including elderly caregivers, healthcare professionals, and policymakers in the planning and implementation process.

More importantly, we should regularly monitor the effectiveness of care services and adapt to the changing needs and demographics, developing flexible plans that can be adapted to future changes and challenges.