Shenzhen’s first senior home built and operated under public private partnership (PPP) started service in Futian on Aug. 21. The project is made possible by the government support and social capital, utilizing Vanke’s high-quality elderly care operation to provide professional care to elderly people. In recent years, Futian District has promoted the reform of services for the elderly in accordance with the goals of national, provincial and municipal civil affairs departments. The PPP project is positioned to serve as a generally beneficial service institution for the aged, offering services like accommodations, meals, health care, rehabilitation and physical therapy, as well as cultural and entertainment options. Futian District is one of Shenzhen’s densely populated central districts with a large number of elderly residents. As of June 2018, there were 93,000 registered residents aged 60 or above in the district, accounting for 8.18 percent of the registered population, and one-third of registered seniors in the city. With strong government support, the district has built 158 different types of service facilities for the elderly with a total of 1,332 beds. In the project, Vanke has invested more than 10 million yuan (US$1.5 million) towards infrastructure renovation, increasing bed count and building leisure areas covering 1,600 square meters for senior citizens. Vanke also introduced an advanced kitchen management system, which allows the old to enjoy a balanced diet designed by professional dietitians. Diversified activities are also regularly held to enrich the spiritual lives of the elderly. (A Ding) | 