THE city will pilot three day-care centers for the elderly in Luohu District neighborhoods this year.
The day-care centers would first be built in Bibo, Shuiku and Yijing neighborhoods before the program is promoted citywide, the Southern Metropolis Daily reported yesterday.
A day-care center is generally 500-800 square meters and equipped with art and recreation facilities, dining rooms, libraries and a kitchen.
One center can generally house dozens of elderly people and offer services such as sanitation, food delivery, entertainment, daily care, nursing, medical care and psychological consultation and exercise.
The center for the elderly in Bibo neighborhood is under construction and will cater for people over 60 and disabled people over 16.
According to Peng Xinfa, head of the center, laid-off workers would be hired and some services such as health care and food delivery would charge appropriate fees according to government rules. Shenzhen recently announced a community service program for 2011-2015 with improvement to social services.
According to the program, Shenzhen will design and build community facilities according to the ratio of one for 15,000 to 20,000 residents. A family service center will be built to provide services such as care for the elderly, disabled people and children.
In five years, the centers will be in all neighborhoods and a community service network with multiple functions will be established.
A survey of 200 elderly people in Luohu District showed that senior citizens needed lectures, training and entertainment, while the demand for temporary care and psychological consultation was not strong.
I think the day care center, funded by government, is good for us elderly people as it provides a place for us to socialize, entertain and even learn, said a woman surnamed Yang, 72, who lives in the Jingbeinan housing estate.
The day-care center should consider elderly people from empty nest families, living alone, and include them in community activities so they won t be lonely any more, said Zeng Xi, 76, a resident at Longjing neighborhood in Xili Subdistrict in Nanshan.
To better serve the elderly, the day-care centers should offer transport services.
Center employees can either pick up the elderly to take them to the center or visit families to give health checks for those who can t take care of themselves, said Zheng Liushan, 70, a resident in Longzhu neighborhood in Nanshan District. (Han Ximin)
