The Luohu Civil Affairs Center and the geriatric department of the Luohu District People’s Hospital (the geriatric hospital for short) were recognized within the first batch of Guangdong provincial demonstration institutions for integrating medical treatment and care for the elderly, according to a notice recently issued by the office of the Guangdong Public Health Commission.
It’s a testament to the provincial authorities’ approval of the two institutions’ work towards integrating medical treatment and care for senior citizens.
The Luohu Civil Affairs Center is the first public elderly nursing institution founded in Shenzhen and thus has a wealth of experience providing medical treatment and nursing services. With the support of the center, the geriatric hospital has been striving to improve its efficiency and services over the past seven years.
As a city piloting the combination of medical treatment and nursing for the elderly, Shenzhen proactively explores multi-level and diversified health and care services that better meet the needs of the aged.
In 2014, Luohu took the lead in piloting the integration of medical treatment and elderly care services in Shenzhen. It has optimized the distribution of limited medical and health, civil affairs and social resources, and came up with innovative ways of relocating specialized hospitals to nursing homes.
It was in August 2014 that the Luohu Civil Affairs Center and the geriatric hospital began jointly providing integrated health and elderly care services, including hospitalization during treatment, nursing during rehabilitation, and hospice care, which seamlessly connected medical care with elderly care services.
Since 2014, the geriatric hospital has sent dozens of doctors and nurses to Japan, Australia, Sweden and other developed countries for further studies on the subject. It has also invited domestic and foreign experts to guide the institution’s operations and provide training on nursing and cognitive impairment diagnostic technology.
Likewise, the center and the hospital have conducted comprehensive assessments of the elderly’s health and care needs, strengthened information exchanges, and tracked and managed the health status of target populations to promptly avoid potential risks and reduce the incidence of accidents.
The two parties also took the lead in formulating specifications on integrated medical treatment and elderly care services, as well as evaluation standards for the service quality, which is integral to the regulation and development of the industry in Shenzhen.