CPPCC National Committee seeks ways to better serve seniors

Actively coping with an aging population and building a senior friendly society is a pressing matter in China's long-term development plans, a spokesman for the fifth session of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference said on Thursday.

The CPPCC National Committee has held special conferences and seminars on the subject, conducted field research and offered suggestions such as promoting a "silver economy" to help seniors find work, said Guo Weimin, the spokesman.

Two vice-chairmen of the CPPCC National Committee have led members of the CPPCC National Committee to conduct field trips at 19 counties and districts in Hunan and Sichuan provinces last year to study the matter, Guo explained.

They paid special attention to various projects, including the installation of elevators at dilapidated residential buildings, the creation of barrier-free facilities in public areas for the disabled and a mechanism to make digital devices more accessible to seniors, he said.

They also visited neighborhoods and sent questionnaires to gain firsthand knowledge on the progress of the work, Guo said.

Based on their research, they have held talks with central and local government officials to discuss other solutions, he said.

The CPPCC National Committee will make more efforts in the sector to improve happiness and a sense of gain and security for older adults, he added.