Study On Policy Improvement For Private Senior Homes

Let seniors have decent places to live is part of building a well-off society inan all-round way in China, and institution-based care of the elderly constitutesan important part in China’s supporting system for the elderly. Because ofgovernment’s limited budget, to promote the development of private seniorhomes is crucial in solving this social problem. This is especially importantwhen it comes to big cities like Shanghai with higher rate of aging. The reality isthat the occupancy rate of private senior homes is not high while there is strongdemand in this market. Then why the private senior homes cannot attract theelderly? What specific problems those senior homes come into? What kind ofpolicy innovations could be made to promote its fast development? Those arethe research questions of this paper.The basic framework of the paper is to put forward the question, analyze itin details with cases and finally some suggestions have been made for the policyimprovement and innovation. The research methods used in the paper areliterature analysis and in-depth interviews and the theories are social welfaresocialization and third-party government. With the theories and methods, we analyze the aging issue, government’s policy plan for the cause of supporting theelderly, and the current situation of private senior homes in Shanghai, and find itis high time to promote the development of private senior homes. According todifferent registration departments, private senior homes can be categorized intoprivate and profitable institution (企业型养老机构) and private but nonprofitinstitution （民非型养老机构）.We analyze the operating models and existing problems of these two typesof private senior homes by studying private but nonprofit institution with caseA and B, and private and profitable institution and with case C and D. Theproblems of the former type include weak capacity in earning leading its slowdevelopment; lack of professional staff leading its instability; lack of familymember’s love and care leading loneliness of the elderly; the profit-orientedoperation influencing its initial orientation. The problems of the latter typeinclude low occupancy rate; financial difficulty; potential factor of propertyright; difficulty in registration. There are some problems in common for thesetwo types including low level of professionalism; government’s absence inpolicy supporting and inefficient in policy implementation; the backwardinformation system of private senior homes in Shanghai.According to policy making rule, finally I provide following policies topromote the development of private senior homes based on the above-mentionedanalysis. These two types of senior homes should develop at the same time. Thefavorable policy should be implemented and government should encourage its development. Improve the environment of investment and finance. Improvesubsidy policy, and tax deduction and exemption policy. Improve theprofessional level, and combine the medical institution and senior home industry.Greatly encourage people to love and respect the elderly, advocacy philanthropyand construct the supporting system in this industry. Strengthen the supervisionand lead in direction of philanthropy.