Expert: Adapting to aging transformation, not just adding handrails

According to data from the National Bureau of Statistics, as of the end of 2022, there were 280 million elderly people aged 60 and above in China, accounting for 19.8%, while the population aged 65 and above exceeded 200 million, accounting for 14%

According to data from the National Bureau of Statistics, as of the end of 2022, there were 280 million elderly people aged 60 and above in China, accounting for 19.8%, while the population aged 65 and above exceeded 200 million, accounting for 14%. The elderly population will exceed 300 million in 2025 and reach 400 million in 2035. China has entered a stage of rapid aging development.

Against the backdrop of aging population, the silver economy has become one of the important ways to promote high-quality development of the social economy. Specifically in various fields, 'adaptive aging' has also been mentioned multiple times. In August of this year, 13 departments including the Ministry of Commerce issued a notice on several measures to promote home consumption, which pointed out the need to improve the level of home aging, develop and release a promotion catalog for elderly products, and accelerate the development of general standards for home product aging design. Support enterprises to increase their research and development efforts in home products such as aging home appliances, furniture, and bathroom fixtures. Support the establishment of elderly product sales counters in home stores and e-commerce platforms. Support business entities in areas such as decoration to expand their home aging renovation business.

The significance and role of adaptive aging transformation are not only reflected in improving quality of life and activity capacity, but also in providing solutions to the overall aging problem of society, "Li Wenjie, an expert of the Elderly Livable and Healthy Professional Committee of the China Association of Aging Industry, told reporters.

In China, home care is still the most important way of providing for the elderly. The aging population is becoming increasingly large, and the housing problem of the elderly is therefore of great concern. And aging modification is not just about adding handrails.

Due to decreased physical function and memory impairment, the elderly population faces many pain points in their daily life at home. For example, elderly people's fingerprints are blurry, and ordinary smart locks are difficult to identify; The waist and legs are inconvenient, making it difficult to get up from the soft sofa and toileting; Reduced resistance, improper bathing temperature, and susceptibility to catching a cold; On October 17th, under the guidance and organization of the Consumer Products Industry Department and Electronic Information Department of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Elderly Care Service Department of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, and the Beijing Municipal Development and Reform Commission, JD joined forces with top 100 brands such as Arrow, Jiumu, Deshman, Zhihuashi, Shufu, Panasonic, Boss Electric, Midea, and Skyworth to launch the 2023 Warm Sun Action and the 4th Xiaolao Ai Lao Shopping Festival, To provide parents and elders with diverse choices of suitable products for the elderly, and to alleviate various pain points in home care scenarios.

We say that home aging renovation is not just about installing a handrail in a narrow sense, but rather a comprehensive intervention in the elderly's home environment. It includes but is not limited to building materials, decoration, aging furniture, intelligent products, etc. Home aging renovation is an effective guarantee for ensuring the safety of the elderly's living environment and improving their quality of life, "said Li Wenjie.

In response to the diverse demand for filial piety and love for the elderly, JD has announced the launch of 10 new products, including a smart toilet for the elderly, a palm vein large screen cat eye smart lock, and an electric assisted elderly chair, in collaboration with home appliance brands. JD has launched over 100 million products and tens of thousands of packages covering different scenarios, and achieved one-stop shopping through VR scene purchases. In addition, JD provides full link service guarantees such as exchanging old for new, 180 day refundable and exchangeable, full package for delivery, dismantling and cleaning, space bureau renovation, and remote tracking of progress for decoration.

Promoting the transformation of suitable aging and building a suitable home environment for the elderly is a systematic project that is "people-oriented, full cycle, full element, and full chain". It has the characteristics of interdisciplinary studies such as gerontology, ergonomics, architecture, psychology, sociology, and nursing, covering multiple stages such as home assessment, elderly design, construction, management, material equipment, and product selection. At present, the emerging field of aging adaptation transformation is in its infancy, and there is a lack of professional and standardized standards in various aspects such as design, construction, products, and services.

Li Xiaotao, Deputy Director of the Beijing Municipal Development and Reform Commission, takes Beijing as an example. Currently, the main form of elderly care in Beijing is home care, but there is still a significant gap between the home environment and meeting the needs of elderly people for a better life. Of course, there is a crucial link here, design services. "Li Xiaotao pointed out that currently, design services, as the core link of the aging adaptation industry chain, are the key to expanding the demand scenarios of various links in the entire industry chain, promoting supply and demand docking between upstream and downstream, and driving the development of industries such as home decoration and elderly care services. They are also the key to improving the quality of aging adaptation transformation.

With the development of the economy and society, reflecting the humanistic care of cities requires advocating for people-oriented aging design, and more importantly, standards and norms are needed to lead the development of the industry. The professional and standardized development of the aging modification design industry can also further promote the standardized development of the elderly care service industry and household service industry, leading the upgrading of the entire industrial chain.

In response, JD Home Appliances announced at the meeting that it has reached a strategic cooperation with the Elderly Living and Health Maintenance Professional Committee of the China Elderly Industry Association to establish a standard system for home aging renovation. Based on relevant standards, it has collaborated with businesses to create a comfortable and healthy home care space for parents and elders in a one-stop manner. And based on the comprehensive upgrade of the supply chain, services, and aging adaptation capabilities of aging products, JD also announced that it will provide one-stop comfortable home care solutions for the elderly.

Aunt Xue and Uncle Li, who are 65 years old this year, have been volunteering at a nursing home for 8 years. Uncle Li fell while working before, leaving behind a sequela of inconvenience in his legs and feet. Every time he got up at night, he had to ask his wife to help him get out of bed and turn on the lights. The toilet seat at home cracked, posing a safety hazard when used. After placing an order for Xiaolao Ailao products and services through his son on JD.com this time, the master came to install multiple automatic sensing night lights, replaced them with smart toilets with heated seats, and patiently explained how to use these new products one by one.

After using the restroom, you can slowly use the armrest to get up, which can relieve dizziness and avoid falling. "The 74-year-old daughter of Yi Grandpa in Ili Prefecture, Xinjiang, saw the newly installed armrest in the restroom through a video call, feeling a lot of peace of mind. The old man's three children have all started a family and can only come back during holidays. Last time, I heard from an elderly person that sitting for a long time makes it easy to get dizzy when standing up. If the toilet is broken, I have to flush the toilet with water, and there is also a problem with the water from the shower. The children are worried, so they quickly placed orders for handrails, toilets, thermostatic showers, and installation services on JD.com. The next day, the installation master came to their door, providing a one-stop service from delivery, installation, dismantling, and cleaning to make the bathroom look new and very worry free.

Regarding this, Vice President of JD Group Feng Quanpu, the head of JD Retail's Public Affairs Department, said: From the launch of the Warm Yang Action in 2021 to the strategic upgrade of the Warm Yang Action in 2023, we have integrated a positive aging perspective and the concept of healthy aging into the entire work process, focusing more on the needs of aging adaptation transformation in the context of home-based elderly care. We have achieved a comprehensive upgrade from basic capabilities to 'one-stop' solutions, and worked together with all sectors of society to create a public living environment suitable for the elderly

'Old age, old age, and old age', enjoying a happy and fulfilling old age is the desired state of life for every elderly person. In the future, JD will continue to adhere to the concept of combining 'a responsible government and an effective market', continue to create a 'five in one' cooperation model for government, associations, platforms, brand enterprises, and service partners, relying on a warm and responsible supply chain capability, and continuously expand and upgrade new scenarios of elderly care services, Serving the sinking market, accompanying more families to achieve the high-quality elderly care vision of silver age housing, enabling the elderly to share the achievements of reform and development with our parents, enjoy health and happiness in their later years, and contribute to the 'JD Plan' in building a path with Chinese characteristics to address population aging Feng Quanpu said.

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