The State Council issued guidelines for promoting services to the elderly during the period of the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) as a national response to an ageing population. The guidelines set out general requirements as well as major goals and tasks, which include integration and enhancement of services to the elderly such as healthcare.

According to the guidelines, education of older adults should be expanded in both urban and rural communities, with qualified schools encouraged to provide programmes. They also encourage innovative integration of care services with education, such as opening study centres in the community nursing homes. The community-education system should emphasise education of older adults, and the establishment of a National University for Older Adults will rely on the Open University of China (OUC) to build a platform for sharing resources and services. Open universities for older adults should be promoted at open universities nationwide, and online education should be encouraged, along with the promotion of open education for older adults in ministries, industries, enterprises and other institutions.

By OUC News Network