Currently China has become the country with the largest number of elderly people in the world.
In just 20 years’ time, the population of people over 60 years old in China is projected to reach 28% of the population, up from 10% today, due to longer life expectancy and declining fertility rates, making it one of the most rapidly-aging population in the world.
Families have been the primary source of care for older adults, but the country’s rapid economic development and urbanization have separated millions of older adults from their children, contributing to a rising demand for community-based health care. The Chinese government has realized the situation, trying to address it by supporting second and third child policies, national and local support in elderly facilities, and creating necessary reforms concerning elderly care.
China’s 14th five year plan (2021-2025) also relates to this matter, in general and also specifically to elderly care. One of the main chapters in the plan is “The People’s Well-Being”, meaning, putting in all efforts to build a healthy China by developing a strong public health system, refining medical service networks, and raising average life expectancy by one year. Throughout this process, the multi-tiered social security system will be upgraded, with coverage of basic old-age insurance reaching 95% of the population. Social assistance and charity systems will also be improved.
In recent years, in response to the aging population trend and before issuing the 14th five year plans’ recommendations, the state has already paid more and more attention to the development of the old-age industry. The government has already issued a series of policy support, gradually improved the social security system for the elderly population, fully opened the development of the aged care service market, rejuvinated the old consumer market, and actively promoted the community-based in-home elderly care (the combination of medical care, elderly care, and other models).
As part of promoting and supporting elderly care homes within the community, in 2019, a dozen provinces and municipalities, including capital city Beijing, east China metropolis Shanghai and eastern Jiangsu Province announced that entities establishing senior care centers would no longer be required to acquire permits from the government. According to data provided by the Ministry of Civil Affairs, 44 percent of senior care centers in China are privately run, catering to the diverse needs of the elderly population.
In such senior care center facilities, elders can access caregivers as well as on-site medical professionals. Even the medicine they take every day is stored at a pharmacy in the center. This reflects the most recent trend in the development of China's senior care market: the combination of medical services and elderly care. At premium senior care centers, hospitals are built in the senior care compound. The more affordable senior care centers, on the other hand, are built close to community hospitals. The goal is that all residents of senior care centers can access medical care whenever it is needed.
Smart health and elderly careSmart health and elderly care refer to the integration of information technology and products such as health care electronics, Internet of Things, cloud computing, big data, and mobile Internet for collecting data such as human signals and the home environment. For example, data from family, community medical institutions, health care services and information inter connection, and data between professional medical institutions will be collected and analyzed to provide intelligent, personalized, and differentiated products and services to meet the progressively urgent health needs of the people. Products, not just in China but worldwide, are being developed that seem promising to assist seniors while lowering manpower shortages and costs. For example, many are familiar with the wearable devices developed to monitor if an elderly person falls, automatically alerting their caregivers. China is famous for achieving it goals and accomplishing tasks ahead; Odds are China will also achieve its target in reference to its aging population… Here is some interesting smart technology for elderly care from Israel:
1) Vitalerter: http://www.vitalerter.com
VITALERTER is an innovative and cost-effective care monitoring and prevention solution designed for healthcare providers (Hospitals, Clinics, Nursing homes, and Telecare). Using artificial intelligence and motion sensors, it detects bed exits, measures the Heart Rate and Respiratory Rate continuously, and analyzes precise body movements without physical contact with the patient in bed. In case of adverse events, the system alerts nurses automatically for immediate assistance.
VITALERTER has proven to reduce falls, ulcers, and prevent life-threatening events. Consequently, reducing costly hospitalizations and treatments. The sensor is simply placed under any medical bed with no loss of comfort and monitors the vital signs and movements continuously.
Who Benefits from VITALERTER?1) Skilled Nursing Homes and Senior Living Communities
2) Hospitals and other post-Acute Care facilities
3) Telecare monitoring - Extending the Boundaries of the Hospital
2) TytoCare: www.tytocare.com
TytoCare is transforming primary care by putting health in the hands of consumers. We seamlessly connect people to clinicians to provide the best home examination and diagnosis solutions. TytoCare has developed a hand held testing device Tyto that is paired with a supporting App. Tyto devices are similar in appearance to smart watches, with multiple functions such as cameras, thermometers, otoscopes, stethoscopes, and tongue depressors. The user first uses the App to contact the doctor for a video call, and then uses the Tyto device for examination under the guidance of the doctor. After the device is used, the user's test data will be passed to the doctor, who will write a prescription based on the data received. TytoCare's business model is B2B2C. It is a company that only provides technology and technical assistance. It does not provide an independent team of doctors. It mainly sells to their patients through doctors.
3) tēmi: www.robotemi.com
tēmi is an international technology company from Israel. Based on the love of science, technology, beauty, and the exploration of intelligent life, it launched a brand new tēmi robot driven by core technology. It has successively set up branches in New York, Shenzhen, and Singapore to promote the operation of its business around the world. As a global technology company leading the world in robotics with flawless autonomous navigation technology, tēmi always adheres to the purpose of improving user experience with a focus on consumer and commercial intelligent robot research and development, manufacturing, and sales. tēmi continues to expand the application of intelligent robot, bringing infinite possibilities for human intelligent life.
4) HeraMED: www.hera-med.com
HeraMED is a technology startup developing a lineup of innovative connected pregnancy monitoring solutions for home use. Harnessing state-of-the-art technology with superior UX/UI, we are creating solutions that are medically accurate, scientifically optimized, safe and affordable.
Led by a team of medical professionals, engineers, product developers and marketing experts, HeraMED has set out to redefine the pregnancy experience.
The company offer comprehensive hardware solutions supported by software applications, focused on fetal well-being and parental assurance. The HeraCARE is a digital platform enabling a new model of care for women throughout pregnancy.
The companies detailed above are all members of The Israeli Chamber of Commerce in China (IsCham). For more information, please contact info@ischam.org.
Resources:
https://www.who.int/news-room/feature-stories/detail/caring-for-the-health-of-the-elderly-in-china.
https://www.prb.org/resources/china-aging-worlds-largest-population-older-people/.
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01029/full.
https://news.cgtn.com/news/2019-09-12/Why-China-can-support-the-elderly-so-well-JVygx2Hkcw/index.html.
https://www.barrons.com/articles/what-chinas-aging-population-means-for-retirement-and-health-providers-51620982800.
If you are interested in talking to these companies or joining IsCham as a member, please contact:
如果想与以上公司取得联系或加入中以商会成为会员，欢迎联系：info@ischam.org.