Sunrise sector brightens sunset years

Their peace appears to arise from the fact that they live in a community of similar age people. The community is a commercial venture that is operated by professionals who deliver services tailored to exacting standards.

The nursing home, called Dongfa House, was Sun and Zhang's choice when they realized they needed care. They did not want to be a burden on their children who live hectic lives.

Sun said: "Here (in the nursing home), each of us has a health record. Our BP (blood pressure) is checked once a week. We receive medical attention whenever required. I enjoy reading books every day, while my husband often plays with his poker-mates.

"Sometimes, student volunteers come here to perform for us. Compared with public nursing homes, we find the staff here to be more patient. Our lives have been enriched."

So are lives of all the stakeholders concerned－nurses, care-givers, doctors, physiotherapists, attendants, plumbers, electricians, mechanics, construction workers, florists, material suppliers, providers of various other services.

An elderly care project entails a plethora of investments, activities and services. Done on a mass scale across a vast country like China, it could help drive economic growth, experts said.

For instance, the nursing home that Sun and her husband live in charges a monthly fee of 2,140 yuan per person. They live in a mid-range 30-square-meter apartment. A high-end apartment could cost 2,460 yuan per person per month.

The fee includes a buffet meal every day. Residents undergo a physical before admission; the practice ensures no one with infectious diseases gets admitted.

There are many takers for modern elderly care services in China. Stated differently, demand outstrips supply. So, the government has amended regulations to allow the private sector to set up profit-oriented businesses in elderly care. Small wonder, foreign investors are lining up to back a range of projects in this segment.

Already, 29 provinces and autonomous regions have decided to open up their elderly care markets. And 26 of them have proposed foreign investment in the segment.

In fact, in January, China's Taikang Community, a privately held firm, teamed up with French senior-care company Orpea, to set up a joint venture on the Chinese mainland.

According to their strategic partnership, the two entities will cooperate and explore the market for urban-type nursing homes and rehabilitation centers in China.

Orpea will provide its advanced care techniques as well as bring standards and processes. For its part, Taikang will integrate its resources in clients, insurance products and healthcare. Both parties aim at building a high-quality brand in China's pensioner care services.