Shunde Junan Tianlian Community Health Service Station
Photo credit: 搜狐, 阳珊的生活大圈子
On July 21, 2023, Professor Winnie Yip, Professor Hongqiao Fu, and health experts from Guangdong visited the Shunde Junan Tianlian Community Health Service Station (顺德区均安镇天连社区卫生服务站) in Jun’an (均安), Guangdong Province. The Station serves as a pilot model for an integrated delivery system that extends to eldercare. Building upon the existing community health center, it has added new senior-friendly functional areas such as nurse stations, rehabilitation rooms, recreational zones, and reading corners. By integrating these facilities, they are better equipped to address the healthcare needs of the local elderly, including common chronic diseases and disabilities.
Visiting group speaking with the station’s local health professionals
Professor Yip and Professor Fu spoke with the health practitioners there regarding challenges and bottlenecks encountered in the ongoing development of the system, including doctor and nursing staff shortages and capabilities, which is faced by similar community based efforts of integrated medical and elder care systems. The Jun’an model showcases a viable pilot of building upon current infrastructure of local community health centers to take on additional eldercare responsibilities, providing a much needed service. It has potential to be scaled to other regions, towards preparing China for its demographic transition into an imminent aging society.
