Center in Fuzhou helping promote care for elderly across the Strait

Lin Shen-shen, a 92-year-old retired nurse originally from Taiwan, said that she feels happy and more secure at a newly opened nursing home for the elderly that she recently moved into in Fuzhou, Fujian province.

"Here, there are various activities and many friends. Everyone takes care of each other, which allows children to feel more at ease when they go out to pursue their dreams," Lin said.

At the home, she likes to attend calligraphy and painting classes, and with her background, she said she intends to help watch over other elderly residents who are sick.

"It's great I can still apply my knowledge," she said. "The managers here are willing to take advice from us. I feel a great sense of security."

The Yuefeng Town Home-based Community Elderly Care Service Center opened in December in Yuefeng town, which is part of Fuzhou. It is run by Anxin Nursing Home Chains, a Taiwan company, and is a pioneering project of cross-Strait elderly care.

It combines standards, concepts and service evaluation systems for seniors from both sides of the Strait, hires workers from Taiwan and organizes activities to boost exchanges, its managers said.

With an area of 2,000 square meters, the center offers 50 beds for people over age 50. Currently, eight staff members serve 12 residents there.

Wu Sang, general manager of the center, said it follows models seen in Taiwan.

For example, nursing homes in Taiwan don't put showers inside individual rooms, because sometimes two workers are needed to help bathe the residents, so larger showers are required, she said. Furthermore, wet floors are dangerous for the older tenants.

"So here, up to 25 people can share one public shower. They can take turns using it," she said.

The center provides meals inspired by traditional Chinese medicine and China's 24 solar terms, which are periods on traditional Chinese lunar calendars that match specific climate and natural events.

Employees who work the night shift check on the residents every two hours. They help the residents turn over, pat their backs to assist with expectoration, accompany them to the toilet, change diapers and check vital signs, Wu said.

"Elderly people from Taiwan love to come here," she said. "For self-funded care in Taiwan, it costs at least 10,000 yuan ($1,393) per month, but we only charge from 3,500 to 5,000 yuan. Also, people from southern Fujian and Taiwan have a similar accent, so it's easy for them to adapt to the community. The city is also very close to Taiwan."

To enrich residents' lives, the center offers classes in painting, calligraphy, singing, photography, yoga and folk dance, all of which are popular among the elderly. Each class costs 400 yuan per class per year, and they are each held once a week.

Yan Renmin, the calligraphy teacher at the center, said teaching the elderly is very different from teaching young people.

"They are primarily driven by their interests. We should encourage their desire to learn," he said. "Learning also helps slow brain cell degradation."

After eating breakfast from 7 am to 8 am, the seniors are separated into groups based on their interests to enjoy some social activities. For example, in the newspaper reading group, they read the news and share opinions on the topics. In another group, the residents gather to talk about their life experiences.

"Sometimes, the conversations become so engaging that everyone forgets about their meal times. Some people became teary-eyed while talking," said Wang Kewei, Party secretary of the center.

A retired teacher surnamed Gong, 92, said she felt lonely at home and now enjoys the companionship she has at the center.

"Here we have a good environment, and we can learn and improve ourselves," she said. "The caregivers and leaders here are very caring. It feels like a big family."

The center also provides door-to-door services for nonresidents, helping them bathe, bringing them meals, accompanying them to the doctor, helping them clean their homes or just visiting to chat with them.

"We will teach them painting, read classic literature and enjoy music with them. We can also help them write their autobiographies," said Wu, the general manager. "This service typically requires people to request them for three months, with two home visits per week to listen to their stories, followed by helping them organize their belongings, such as old photos, visiting places important to them, taking photos, and drafting their autobiographies."

The center also welcomes older people from nearby communities to have dinners and attend classes.