China’s elder care industry is turning to automation, featuring internet-connected sleep monitors, robotic arms, and calorie-counting cafeteria plates, in response to an aging population and a shrinking workforce.
At an industry fair in Shanghai this week, hundreds of retirees explored booths showcasing innovations from luxury retirement homes to physiotherapy robots. China’s population has been declining since 2022 after over 60 years of growth, raising concerns about future labor shortages and increased pressure on the healthcare system as millions of citizens age.
To address these challenges, many exhibitors at the fair highlighted technological solutions rather than traditional family care.
Among the crowd was Yu, a 64-year-old visitor, who watched a demonstration of automated stair-climbing machines and devices designed to transfer people from beds to wheelchairs. “Nowadays there are fewer and fewer young people, and more and more old people, so these smart products can provide better services for older people,” Yu told AFP. He had already bought smart wheelchairs and beds for his elderly family members, including a 90-year-old relative.
Shenzhen-based tech firm Innopro displayed smartwatches, motion detectors, and temperature monitors designed for constant elder surveillance, appealing to busy workers and clients like nursing homes and local governments. “For institutions, they hope to save on labour costs because they usually need to conduct checks every night,” explained employee Jin Guohui, showcasing a SIM card-equipped device that monitors sleep patterns and signs of life.
Innovative Solutions for Elderly Care
Eihoo Health Management, operating senior citizen cafeterias, introduced dinner plates embedded with chips to identify food, allowing a cash register to provide instant nutritional reports and reduce workloads for staff. Regular diners can set up payment cards that track their weight, nutritional habits, and health status.
Students from Shanghai’s Jiao Tong University presented a robotic arm designed to help elders with limited mobility perform daily tasks such as eating and turning doorknobs.
This high-tech approach contrasts sharply with the traditional Chinese ideal of aging at home under family care.
Shi Wenjun, a 73-year-old visitor, noted the differences for elderly Chinese today. “We are all parents of only children… our children are nearly 50 and they have their own work and families, so when we’re old, we will choose the elder care organisations provided by the government, group forms of elder care,” she said. Shi, a volunteer organizing activities for seniors in her neighborhood, embraced new technologies, including smartphones, but acknowledged the ongoing learning process. “For a lot of things, we are still in the process of figuring it out,” she said.
With automation promising enhanced elder care services, China’s approach to aging is evolving, blending traditional values with cutting-edge technology.
