Interview: Home Instead eyes opportunities in China's senior care

0 Comment(s)Print E-mail Xinhua, April 16, 2021
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NEW YORK, April 15 (Xinhua) -- Home Instead, a leading home-based senior care provider headquartered in Omaha, a city in the U.S. state of Nebraska, looks forward to playing an important role in China by caring for seniors in their homes, where they most often prefer to be, said an executive with the senior care institution.

Entering the Chinese market in 2014, Home Instead has a strategy of providing highly-personalized care at home, with products, technology and services tailored to meet the needs of a senior and their families, said Mike Boyer, chief operating officer of the international division with Home Instead, on Wednesday.

Growing elderly population in China brings opportunity to re-imagine the senior care ecosystem, and home care is vital, according to Boyer.

It's reported that China has 260 million people aged over 60 in 2021 with an average life expectancy of 77 years.

China would support home-based senior care and build a senior care service system by harmonizing in-home, community and institutional senior care, according to the outline of the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) for national economic and social development and the long-range objectives through the year 2035.

Boyer said it takes a multitude of solutions working together to meet the needs of an aging population.

"For example, technology, meal delivery and durable medical equipment providers all play critical roles in caring for older adults," said Boyer in the interview with Xinhua.

As the senior care ecosystem is underdeveloped in China, there is an urgent need to educate consumers about senior care services and care options, what they cost, and how to access them, according to Boyer.

"We are investing heavily in creating awareness and educating consumers about the senior care market," said Boyer, noting the industry has not developed a sound model to serve Chinese seniors on a larger scale.

There is a need to foster collaboration to build a more dynamic senior care system in China and "we can't do it alone," he said.

"We look forward to working with NGOs, government officials and private industry to increase the capacity to care for older adults in China," Boyer told Xinhua.

"We'd like to share what we have learned over our 27 years in business regarding critical issues including, but not limited to, tax incentives and subsidies for training and development," said Boyer.

He noted that Home Instead faces a challenge in recruiting and training workers for the senior care industry.

"We must encourage vocational training to build a care-giving workforce that meets the needs of older adults in China," Boyer said.

Founded in 1994, Home Instead has around 12,000 offices in over ten countries, including a subsidiary in south China's Shenzhen City. Enditem

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