District set to adopt elder care a la France

The French consulate general in Guangzhou and the Civil Affairs Bureau are working to introduce French elderly care services to a district of the city, as the aging population creates increasing demand.

The two sides signed a memorandum of understanding on elderly care cooperation last month, as an outcome from the long-term blueprint for the development of Sino-French ties published during the visit to France in 2014 by Chinese president Xi Jinping.

Elderly care cooperation is a new priority in bilateral ties, says Pierre Martin, economic counselor with the consulate.

The three-year MOU aims to transfer the French elderly home care system to a district, including specialized homes, logistics, hardware and training, Martin says.

The government of Haizhu district in Guangzhou has expressed interest.

With an elderly care sector developed since four decades ago, France has strong public policies, geriatrics and private sector care, he says. A number of French companies - including Colisee, Sodexo, Legrand and Air Liquide Healthcare are interested in joining the program in Guangzhou.

A French social insurance fund may also take part and Chinese companies are also welcome, he says.

The top three European care home operators in terms of the number of beds are French - namely Korian, Orpea and Domusvi, according to a report by Savills, an international real estate adviser, in October.

Since starting to become an aging society in 1992, Guangzhou has seen a drastic increase in demand for senior care services amid an increasingly serious aging situation, says Ye Fen, director of social welfare division of Guangzhou civil affairs bureau.

The senior population stands at 1.48 million, or 17.3 percent of the total population of the city, including 238,000 above the age of 80 and 268,000 people in families of solely senior members.

The elderly population in Guangzhou is expected to surpass 1.85 million by 2020, creating a large care services market, Ye says.

Documents from China's State Council and Guangzhou city government pinpoint cooperation with other countries in this sector.

The MOU is meant to draw on the advanced ideas and professional practices of France to upgrade elderly care services in Guangzhou, Ye says.

Some cooperation is already underway, including a home for the elderly built by a joint venture between China Merchants Group and Colisee in the Panyu district of Guangzhou.

If the program goes well, the MOU maybe renewed after three years, Martin says.

liwenfang@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily European Weekly 02/24/2017 page28)