Elderly patients to get improved clinical care

China plans to build more clinics specializing in geriatrics at major hospitals and strengthen their capabilities as part of broader efforts to address the needs of a rapidly aging society, according to a recent guideline released by the National Health Commission.

The updated guideline on the establishment and management of clinics for elderly patients, issued on Thursday, replaces an earlier version from 2019.

It mandates that hospitals in the upper two tiers of the country's three-tier hospital system establish such clinics for elder patients, which should include outpatient consultation rooms, wards and comprehensive evaluation rooms.

The number of beds for older adults must be no fewer than 20 at tertiary hospitals and at least 10 at secondary hospitals. Each hospital should have one physician and two nurses for every three beds, the guideline said.

Official data shows that the number of people age 60 and older in China reached around 310 million last year, accounting for 22 percent of the total population. That proportion is projected to exceed 30 percent by 2035.

To meet rising demand, the number of clinics for elderly care at major hospitals has surged from about 1,500 in 2018 to more than 6,800 in 2023.

Wan Zhirong, deputy director of the geriatrics department at Aerospace Center Hospital in Beijing, said elderly patients often face multiple health challenges and complex care needs.

"Data shows that about 75 percent of elderly people in China suffer from two or more chronic conditions simultaneously, including cognitive decline, high blood pressure, diabetes and coronary heart disease," he said. "They also frequently experience problems such as cognitive impairment, Parkinson's disease, frailty, falls and malnutrition."

At his hospital, Wan said annual visits to the department have increased about 20 percent in recent years. In 2023, outpatient visits exceeded 15,000, with people age 80 and older accounting for 45 percent of hospitalized patients.

Wan emphasized the importance of integrating multidisciplinary specialists — especially in neurology, cardiology and rehabilitation medicine — into specialized care.

"Following acute treatment, many elderly patients still require rehabilitation or home-based care," he said. "This makes developing efficient referral systems that link hospitals with community clinics and senior care facilities essential."

According to the guideline, these clinics should include professionals in internal medicine, oncology, traditional Chinese medicine, rehabilitation, mental health, nursing, pharmacy and nutrition to offer multidisciplinary services and incorporate traditional therapies.

Related departments should also be equipped with basic resuscitation equipment, including tracheal intubation devices, manual respirators, electrocardiogram monitors and cardiac defibrillators.

The guideline encourages adding support infrastructure such as auxiliary bathing facilities, electric nursing beds, self-transfer devices, enteral nutrition infusion pumps and rehabilitation training equipment.

Wan said his department evaluates hospitalized elderly patients beyond their primary diagnosis, assessing cognitive function, nutritional status and risk of falls. The department also conducts multidisciplinary consultations and collaborates with community hospitals and elder care institutions to ensure patients receive follow-up care after discharge.

"Smart technologies such as remote monitoring and artificial intelligence-assisted assessments will likely be deployed in the future to foster deeper collaboration between hospitals and primary healthcare or senior care providers," he said.