The number of individuals aged 60 and over in Jining reached 1.97 million by 2024, accounting for nearly one-fourth of the city's total population. Jining has launched a number of elderly care options, catering to different needs and preferences.

To date, the city has built a comprehensive network of care facilities made up of 230 nursing homes, 179 urban community day care centers, and 51 subdistrict-level comprehensive elderly care centers.

A center in the Jinhua community of Rencheng district is a place where seniors can enjoy mahjong, calligraphy, and rehabilitation. [Photo/SdChina]

One center in the Jinhua community of Rencheng district is a place where seniors can enjoy mahjong, calligraphy, and rehabilitation. Liu, a 77-year-old woman, and her husband with  Alzheimer's visit the center daily.

"This day care center is very cozy, with many activities. I bring my husband here every day. It's much better than staying at home," she said.

Jining has also developed comprehensive policies to support elderly care services, including land use and financial support. The city has established mechanisms to ensure the synchronous planning, construction, and operation of rural community elderly care facilities. To address the needs of rural seniors, Jining has built 687 rural happiness centers and introduced innovative care mechanisms to support vulnerable groups.

Jining also integrates medical resources into elderly care, which helps alleviate the burden of social elderly care. [Photo/SdChina]

The city has established a government-funded home-based elderly care service mechanism, providing 30 to 50 hours of home-based care services per month for elderly people in difficult families, with a total service of more than 50,000 person-times. It has also introduced measures to promote elderly care consumption, encouraging elderly care institutions to carry out free trial stays and free experience activities for home-based services. So far, 14,000 consumption coupons have been issued, benefiting more than 6,000 elderly people across the city.