Elderly care home puts happiness in first place

Two years ago, Shanghai retiree Yin Yueqin moved to Wuxi city, East China's Jiangsu province, because she did not want to face being alone in the cosmopolitan financial hub.

Yin's loved ones－her son and his family－are all living in Austria and she had to handle many daily chores herself in her old place.

But the 80-year-old former printing factory employee is now all smiles and right at home in her 70-square-meter apartment in Wuxi.

"I checked out many places before deciding on this one. People are very helpful here and I get to stay active. The food is also to my taste and I can enjoy all my favorite dishes, like fish and dumplings," she said.

Yin is a resident of the Yunlin Life Apartment community, developed under the Dutch Humanitas (Life Apartment) model and using "a happy retired life" as its core concept for advanced elderly care philosophies.

The development is touted as the first of its kind in the country offering an open community where young and old residents get to interact and access a full range of amenities, facilities and services ranging from elderly care-oriented apartments, a nursing center, rehabilitation hospital, affordable restaurant, museum of nostalgic items, heated swimming pool and daily recreational events for the elderly to maintain and grow their social links.

Jiangsu Yunlin Elderly Care Development Group, under Jiangsu Sujia Group, rolled out the development four years ago as a "homelike and elderly-oriented community", working closely in line with the approach in the Netherlands.

There are more than 33 "life apartment" projects with waiting lists of as much as 10,000 people for its award-winning elderly care model.

The elderly care approach at Yunlin offers a way for the country to face the challenges of an aging population as it moves firmly on the development path toward a moderately prosperous society.

In the next three decades, China will see its aging population grow at a faster rate, especially after 2030, when the number of senior citizens is expected to rise by 11 million a year, according to the latest population research.

Yunlin apartments are sold to the elderly for permanent use. Its residents are "surrounded by acquaintances, do not leave society, participate in social activities, have relatives and friends who can visit often, enjoy complete housekeeping, nursing and medical services…all suited for an elderly care community", according to the group.

Andreas Jager, general manager of Yunlin Elderly Care Service Co, said the focus is on "living a happy life".

The emphasis on happiness can also incorporate how medical care is given, which is an important aspect of elderly care in China but also a major challenge for the industry, Jager said.

Xu Caibin, 48, said she moved to the complex two years ago, also buying a 70-sq-m apartment, because it was near the school which her daughter attend and there would be many opportunities to interact with the older residents and neighbors.

"It is a more caring environment here and people are well taken care of," said Xu, who works in the financial industry and also volunteers in the elderly care services at the facility.

The Yunlin Life Apartment community provides elderly people with high standards of service in all aspects. LI JIN/CHINA DAILY