BEIJING, April 16 (Xinhua) -- The State Council General Office has released a regulation to improve elderly care services and meet the diverse needs of the aged.
The regulation, with six sections and 28 measures, stressed the need to establish a supervision system for elderly care services, deepen reform of public-funded elderly care organs, and improve precise investment by the government.
The regulation requires the extending of channels for investing and financing, and achieving expanding employment and entrepreneurship.
A system will be formed to recognize the skill of caregivers and provide them with more education and training opportunities, it said.
It also demanded the protection of the elderly rights and interests, while dealing with illegal fund-raising in the elderly care sector.
High-quality elderly care should be advanced and elderly care facilities improved, it added.
The regulation asked all regions and related departments to improve their elderly care systems, and said the enforcement of elderly care policies would be assessed by the government annually.
The regulation has made it clear that a long-term care and service system will be created while enabling public-funded elderly care organs to play their due role, said Gao Xiaobing, vice minister of civil affairs, at a State Council news briefing Tuesday.
In order to expand social capital in elderly care services, the regulation pledged to streamline the procedures for the establishment of elderly care organs, Gao said.
At least 55 percent of the public welfare lottery funds by the local civil affairs authorities and local government should be used to support elderly care by 2022, the official said.
The number of people in China aged 60 and above has reached 250 million.
