BEIJING, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- China has unveiled two mandatory national standards to enhance safety and service quality in senior care institutions, as the country moves to professionalize and regulate a sector crucial to its rapidly growing elderly population.
The two standards -- the basic specification for senior care organization, and determination criteria for major accident hazards of senior care organization -- were jointly issued by the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) and the Ministry of Civil Affairs. They will take effect on Aug. 1, 2027.
The basic standard sets out 90 specific requirements across seven areas, including site selection, facilities and equipment, admission and discharge procedures, and safety management, drawing a baseline for compliant operations.
The criteria for determining major accident hazards establishes a systematic procedure for identifying safety risks, based on lessons learned from nationwide management practices, to help frontline managers detect and address risks precisely and in a timely manner.
"These mandatory standards will guide senior care facilities to focus on key safety and service elements and continuously enhance their risk‑prevention capabilities and operational quality," said Wang Yuhuan, an official with the SAMR.
China is racing to upgrade its elderly care system to meet the needs of an aging society. With more than 320 million people aged 60 and above, it has the largest elderly population in the world.
During the 15th Five‑Year Plan period (2026-2030), China aims to renovate and upgrade 2,000 public care facilities, and raise the share of nursing‑care beds in such institutions to over 73 percent, according to the National Development and Reform Commission. ■
