By the end of 2024, Qingdao's population over the age of 60 reached 2.53 million, making up 24.3 percent of its residents. Over 90 percent of them prefer home- and community-based care, prompting the city to develop a targeted and accessible elderly care network.

Currently, Qingdao is building a "15-minute elderly care circle" through practical measures — from precise home-based care and smart upgrades in meal services to professional workforce training and ongoing policy improvements — creating a "nursing home without walls" that offers quality, convenient, and caring elderly care services.

Qingdao now hosts more than 11,000 elderly and medical care institutions. Six five-star nursing homes have partnered with tertiary hospitals, enabling seamless transitions between hospital beds and nursing home placements, serving over 1,800 seniors since June.

Qingdao has pioneered a sustainable elderly care mechanism by repurposing unused rural houses and school buildings into mutual-aid centers, promoting community-based support models for long-term sustainability.

As one of the most urgent needs for seniors, meal assistance remains a cornerstone of Qingdao's "15-minute elderly care circle". Through a multi-tiered system that is comprehensive, embedded, and convenient, the city has coordinated the development of over 1,400 senior canteens. These have served more than 40 million visits, building an efficient and accessible meal service network covering both urban and rural communities.

Qingdao builds a "15-minute elderly care circle" through concrete measures, creating a "nursing home without walls" that offers quality, convenient, and warm elderly care services. [Photo/Guanhai News]