Notice on carrying out elderly care at family planning households by the NHFPC's General Office

(en.nhfpc.gov.cn)

Updated: 2014-10-13

Work task and schedule

I. Develop pilot program (September-October 2014)

Each province should select a prefecture-level city as a pilot unit and submit it to the NHFPC. Pilot units should feature well-developed health family planning work, a large aging population base, and enthusiasm in elderly care in family planning households. All pilot units should follow provincial guidance, focus on demand, and study and formulate a work plan.

II. All regions should carry out demand research (November-December 2014). Pilot areas should take various approaches to understand the practical problems, number, structure, way of life and elderly care of existing family planning households.

III. Arrange skills training (January-December 2015)

Pilot regions should formulate a work implementation guidance manual based on the Elderly Home Care and Care Guide issued by the NHFPC's Department of Family Development and conduct hierarchical training. First, they should train health and family planning and related personnel at the grassroots level to improve their abilities in handling elderly home care. Second, family members in pilot areas should be trained to better care for the elderly at home and help them better take care of themselves.

IV. On-site service (January-December 2015)

All regions should follow the pilot program and arrange for trained staff to visit family planning households, especially those facing difficulties, to offer pertinent services in life and home care, spiritual comfort and emergency relief.

V. Conduct assessment and inspection (first half of 2016)

The country will establish an expert panel to study and formulate an evaluation index system and evaluation plan and conduct evaluation and inspection of the pilot work. Provinces should carry out periodic assessment of pilot work development, find problems and summarize experiences to explore a feasible model and approach for promoting elderly care at family planning households nationwide.

Work requirement:

I. Raise awareness and strengthen organizational leadership

At present, China has entered a rapid population aging development phase, and families at large, especially those following the family planning policy, are facing practical difficulties in home-based care for the elderly. Pilot areas should give priority to helping home-based care for the elderly in those families, set up specialized agencies, formulate specific measures and carry them out earnestly. They should also take care of pilot work inspection and evaluation to ensure positive results.

II. Adjust measures to local conditions and make scientific choice of pilot area

All regions should act on family planning work development and actual demand, take into account social and economic development, and take the initiative to choose distinctive and typical areas as pilot units to offer experience for the development of home-based care for the elderly at family planning households.