Podcast: Story in the Story (3/12/2019 Tue.)
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From the People's Daily app.

And this is Story in the Story.

According to a report by the National Bureau of Statistics, by the end of 2017, there were 240 million people aged 60 or above in China, accounting for just over 17 percent of the country’s total population.

An increase among incapacitated senior citizens and empty-nesters has led to a surge in demand for home care services.

The National Health Commission of China recently launched the "Internet and nursing services" program.

The pilot program will use Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Guangdong Provinces as key nursing areas for one year.

Currently, a growing number of online nursing mobile apps and door-to-door nursing services have been launched.

Users only need to register, place an order, upload a doctor's prescription, and then wait for a nurse to arrive at their home.

Analysts have cautioned that door-to-door nursing services are expensive so elderly patients should expect to pay more for the same services provided at their local hospitals. 

Today's Story in the Story looks at how China's elderly population has given rise to a new job sector, home nursing care, and how efforts are underway to address surging demand.

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(Photo: CGTN) 

About 150 million people in China aged 60 or above have chronic diseases, accounting for 65 percent of the age group. They include about 40 million with partial or complete disability, according to the National Health Commission.

Zhang Xiaoli, a bank employee in Beijing, said she heard about the home nursing services and feels they can prevent patients and their families from having to wait in line at hospitals.

"I think it is also good news for young people with elderly parents," she said. "But there should be regulations to ensure the services provided at home are of the same quality provided at hospitals or clinics."

However, staffing issues are a concern, which will give way to higher salaries for home nurses, thus making the job more appealing to younger people in search of a well-paying career.

Nurses in the new program must have at least five years of clinical experience, and data gathered should be safely stored and be accessible to supervisory authorities.

Du Shuyun, head of the Hengchun Nursing Home in Beijing's Chaoyang District, said they welcome student interns who have creative ideas, but when it comes to recruitment, they usually get middle-aged nannies. 

"Graduates demand high salaries and better benefits, but they lack experience taking care of the elderly," she said. 

Du said that as more investment is poured into the elderly care sector, growing competition will prompt industry development.

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A nurse changes a patient's dressing at her home in Henan province. (File photo: IC)

Liu Zhiwen, director of Xiguan Community Health Center in Beijing's Changping district, said it has been providing home services for nearby residents for many years but has not tried to dispatch nurses via mobile phone apps.

"The demand for home services, such as transfusions, is very big here and in neighboring communities, especially among the elderly and disabled," he said. "But we only have a few nurses who are constantly occupied, and we can only send them to the homes of residents who are most in need, such as those who can't move."

Services covered by the program should be in high demand and easy to perform outside medical institutions.

The app program will end in December and from there, based on overall performance, Chinese officials will improve existing policies to meet diverse health demands.

Safety is also a top concern for such services, said Liu.

"All the nurses in the health center are female," he said. "I or another male doctor will always accompany a nurse when she goes to a patient's home for the first time to make sure the nurse will be able to provide services in safety."

One problem that needs to be addressed is the cost. As Liu explained, unlike services at hospitals or clinics, patients have to pay all the expenses incurred during home services, and such fees are not covered by basic medical insurance.

Jiao Yahui, deputy chief for medical administration and supervision at the National Health Commission, said the pilot program is focused on the needs of the elderly.

China has only about 3.8 million professional nurses, which is not enough to meet demand, but gives them the freedom to provide services outside hospitals and clinics through Internet platforms.

"There are only a limited number of home services, such as transfusions or treatment for skin ulcers," Jiao said. "More sophisticated and risky medical services must be conducted at medical institutions."

(Produced by Nancy Yan Xu, Lance Crayon, Brian Lowe and Da Hang. Music by: bensound.com. Text from China Daily and Global Times.)