Elderly Care Services:Positioning,Challenges,and Reflections
Based on the perspectives of agglomeration effects,economies of scale,and economies of scope,this paper dis-cusses the advantages and disadvantages of various types of services from three dimensions:centralized versus de-centralized,continuous versus intermittent,and in-clinic versus in-home.It further elucidates several biases pres-ent in China's current elderly care system and attempts to correct them.First,it repositions the classic responsibili-ties of elderly care,innovatively proposing an elderly care system that bases itself on"self-care,supported by fam-ily care,bolstered by market services,supplemented by societal services,and underpinned by government ser-vices."Second,it reflects on and critiques the mainstream"9073"or"9064"elderly care patterns,and based on data from the seventh national census,proposes a new vision for the elderly care structure"87-10-1-2."Third,it corrects the traditional view of the elderly as solely dependents in need of support and care,clearly defining the start and end points for economic support,caregiving,medical services,and emotional solace for the elderly.Fourth,it challenges the United Nations'vision of"Aging in Place,"clarifying the different applicable contexts and strengths and weaknesses of home-based versus institutional elderly care,asserting that there is no question of which is better or worse.Fifth,it reconsiders the mainstream"needs-based"approach to allocating elderly care ser-vices,pointing out that"needs-based,supply-founded"is the guiding philosophy that considers both demand and supply and their balance.Reevaluating the positioning and understanding of mainstream or classic elderly care and timely correcting any biases or errors are crucial for advancing the high-quality development of China's elderly care services.
万方数据
维普
