A volunteer taking care of a senior citizen in West District at his home. [File photo/Zhongshan Daily] 

By the end of July this year, home-based elderly service centers (stations) in all communities throughout the city had served 368,000 elderly people, according to the Zhongshan Civil Affairs Bureau. The city has invested 2.936 million yuan to provide regular home cleaning, food preparation and accompanying and care services for more than 600 elderly people in difficulties in 24 towns and districts every month, with a cumulative total door-to-door service time of 119,800 hours.

Zhongshan presently has a total of 86 township- and village-level home-based elderly service centers. These facilities have different functional rooms with recreational and sports equipment for fitness, recreation and sports as well as life skill training.

In addition, home-based elderly care services were purchased from 113 full-time social workers. Torch Development Zone, West District, Xiaolan Town and Sanxiang Town have achieved 100% coverage of home-based elderly care service.

Door-to-door housekeeping and meal delivery services have been provided in 24 towns and districts throughout Zhongshan. In terms of housekeeping, most towns and districts are served by qualified enterprises and nursing homes, providing free door-to-door services such as housekeeping, shopping and accompanying in medical services for the elderly with mobility problems.

In terms of meal delivery and assistance, Torch Development Zone, Xiaolan Town, Sanxiang Town, Shaxi Town, Shiqi District and South District have piloted meal delivery and assistance services in elderly canteens. Zhongshan so far has built 15 elderly canteens and offered door-to-door meal delivery and assistance services for 24 townships.

In addition, by the end of July this year, 21 towns and districts offer diversified services, including rehabilitation care, day care and haircuts, which benefit 75,000 elderly people.