Community Social Infrastructure
The number of older adults living independently in China is expected to double by 2030. To enable aging in place, the Chinese government has intensified efforts to establish a more age-friendly social infrastructure. An extensive network of community/village recreation centers and schools for older adults has been built nationwide to provide various entertainment and cultural activities, although the distribution density of these facilities remains relatively low in rural areas. The government has also encouraged active aging by promoting volunteer activities.
Today, more than 50 percent of older Chinese adults, or around 100 million people, do not live with their offspring. The percentage is even higher in large and medium-sized cities at around 70 percent. The number of older adults living alone or with a spouse only is projected to exceed 200 million by 2030.
China is a leader among the upper middle-income countries in this study in providing community support for older adults. Following major policy guidelines introduced by the central government in 2013 to accelerate the development of the older-age care sector, a variety of pilot projects and models have been adopted at the local level to provide integrated community-based services, ranging from daily life care to emergency assistance. Public-private partnerships are more common in urban areas, while an innovative model centered on mutual assistance among older community members has been promoted in rural areas.
Accessibility of physical infrastructure remains an area with much room for improvement. While economic development has caused general livability to improve significantly in China, housing, outdoor space, and transportation have generally failed to catch up with the needs of an aging population.
Silver Age Action Initiative
In 2003, China introduced the Silver Age Action Initiative, whereby retired professionals are organized to volunteer in western and less-developed regions, utilizing their knowledge and experience to help local economic and social development. Over the past decade, the initiative has evolved significantly, now covering 31 provinces and including various city-to-city or urban-to-rural partnerships. Volunteer activities have expanded from the initial focus on public health and medical care to a broader scope including culture, education, and agriculture. As of the end of 2013, around 5 million older professionals nationwide had vol unteered and benefited around 300 million people, creating a total estimated value of more than USD 1.2 billion.