East China’s Jiangsu has explored a series of measures such as building hospitals and nursing homes for the elderly and strengthening home medical services for the elderly to promote the integration of medical care and nursing care services.
What makes Jiangsu Geriatric Hospital different from convectional hospitals is that the stairs and ramps and handrails of toilets have been specially re-designed for the elders’ convenience.
The comprehensive evaluation clinic for the elderly provides a one-stop solution to the various difficulties of the elderly in medical treatment, medication, and rehabilitation.
"The elderly can get a one-stop diagnosis and treatment of diseases in this department. The doctor will also make a comprehensive judgment on his medication and propose an individualized plan for his later treatment including nutritional exercise."said by ChenJihai, Deputy Chief Physician, Department of Geriatrics, Jiangsu Geriatric Hospital.
Jiangsu Geriatric Hospital has also set up long-term care wards for elderly patients in need of rehabilitation with rehabilitation treatment as the mainstay and supplemented by living care to help the elderly recover the skills of independent living to the greatest extent.
"When I was admitted to the hospital, I sat on a wheelchair and I needed two people to support me. The hospital used medical treatment and rehabilitation exercises to treat me comprehensively and now I can walk on crutches and walkers."said by He Ying, Inpatient at Jiangsu Hospital for Geriatrics.
As early as 2017, Jiangsu took the lead in the country in promulgating the "Basic Standards for Geriatric Hospitals", which refined the standards in terms of department settings, staffing, facilities and equipment.
Jiangsu has built 18 second-level and above geriatric hospitals and 301 nursing homes. More than 60% of the second-level and above public hospitals have geriatric medicine departments, which can basically meet the medical needs of the elderly.
With the increase of disabled, elderly, and empty-nest elderly, the elderly continue to increase their demand for medical services at the doorstep of their homes.
The small embedded elderly care complexes built in the communities in Wuxi and Nantong provide nearby rehabilitation services for the elderly.
The family hospital bed service team established in Suzhou extends medical services to families.
Jiangsu is one of the pilot provinces in the country that have launched "Internet + nursing" elder care services.
Nanjing, Nantong, and Yancheng have relied on Internet technology to provide "online nurse appointment" services by making one-click appointments for on-site services for disabled and semi-disabled elderly people who need regular health care, which greatly reduces the burden on families.
"The community door-to-door service can help me deal with simple nasal feeding and urinary catheters. It's hard for me to take her to the hospital by myself."said by Zhao Fang, A Resident of Lanqi Community, Qinhuai District, Nanjing/Daughter of a Patient.
"There are many disabled and semi-disabled patients in the old community mainly patients with stroke and cerebral infarction and tumors after surgery. Now there are an average of 7 or 8 door-to-door services a week and there are about 20 kinds of services." said by XuJie, Head Nurse, LanqiCommunity Health Service Center, Qinhuai District, Nanjing.
According to the 14thFive-Year Plan for Health Development in Jiangsu Province, by 2025, more than 85% of public general hospitals in Jiangsu will set up geriatric medicine departments, and the completion rate of friendly medical institutions for the elderly will reach 95%.
Jiangsu will also increase the number of eldercare, rehabilitation, and nursing beds in primary medical and health institutions, and through home medical services, focus on providing home beds, outpatient visits and other medical services for the elderly at home, severely ill, and disabled.
