A group of seniors learn to dance at Huafa Community's senior university. [Photo/WeChat account: zhxiangzhou]

The National Health Commission recently named 1,000 communities as National Demonstration  Communities for their efforts in elderly care.

Among the listed communities, Guangdong province boasts 45 communities, including two in Zhuhai's Xiangzhou district, namely the Huafa Community in Nanping town, and the Chunhui Community on Fengshan Street.

The Huafa Community is located southwest of the Qianshan River and has a total of 11,300 households and approximately 30,700 residents, including 4,075 elderly people aged 60 and above, accounting for 13.3 percent of the total population.

It has created a "15-minute elderly care service circle", as it developed a community health service center, community elderly care facilities, and a home-based elderly care service center all within walking distance of each other. This allows elderly residents to enjoy recreational and life care services without having to leave the community.

To meet the dining needs of the elderly who live alone, are widowed, or are advanced in age, the community has created a senior citizen canteen. This canteen provides healthy meals to the elderly and has a meal delivery service available for elderly people that cannot leave their residence.

The senior university in the Huafa Community was launched in September 2013, and is the first community senior university in Zhuhai. 

The Chunhui Community has 4,439 households and around 11,670 permanent residents, including 1,099 people aged 60 and above, accounting for 9.4 percent of the total population.

It has utilized the second floor of the Chunhui Market to create a comprehensive elderly care service center that features a living area, cultural and recreational fitness area, medical rehabilitation area, and management service area. This center provides home care, meals, rehabilitation, and leisure and entertainment services to the local elderly citizens.

In addition, the Chunhui Community has installed elevators in the old residential areas of the Chunhui Garden and in Gong'an village. Barrier-free ramps have been set up throughout the community, and 102 disabled elderly households have been equipped with devices such as emergency call buttons, gas alarms, home security cameras, flashing doorbells, and nursing beds.