Shanghai Community Center Offers Active Life for Seniors

Pan Lizhen, who is 92 years old, walks 20 minutes to the local community center every day. There, she enjoys lunch, exercises, and catches up with her neighbors.

The Hongqiao Subdistrict Community Comprehensive Senior Service Center serves as a central hub for her daily activities.

This three-story facility opened in 2019, covering 3,072 square meters and offering 26 distinct services in one location. The center accommodates about 60,000 visits annually, providing meals, medical care, and specialized fitness programs.

"We older people are getting happier as we age," Pan said. "In the past, I had to take care of kids and work. It was so tiring. Now I am happy."

By the end of 2024, Shanghai had 5.78 million registered residents aged 60 or older, making up 37.6 percent of the city's total population.

To support these residents, the city operates 529 community senior service centers and 2,406 meal sites.

Facilities like the Hongqiao center represent Shanghai's approach to an aging population.

The city builds embedded community care centers to keep seniors in familiar neighborhoods. This creates a "15-minute elderly care service circle" where residents can access professional help near their homes.

The center features Shanghai's first dedicated gym for seniors. Members use fitness equipment designed for older bodies.

Seniors must wear smart bracelets during workouts. The bracelets monitor heart rates and display the data on a large screen.

Staff members monitor the screen and intervene if a senior's heart rate exceeds the red zone. A monthly membership costs 99 yuan (US$14.5).

The program is popular and serves more than 140 members across two locations.

The center also solves practical domestic challenges. Many seniors live in older apartments with slippery bathtubs.

The center offers a specialized bathing facility to prevent falls. It features three types of bathing stations. These cater to fully independent seniors, semi-independent seniors, and those who require wheelchairs.

Prices are kept relatively low, with a basic bath costing 5 yuan. Seniors who need a care worker pay 15 yuan.

"It is convenient and cheap," Pan said about the bathing facility. "It is warm here in winter. My home is cold."

Other services focus on daily convenience and specialized care. A community canteen serves about 265 meals a day. Seniors receive discounts based on their age. A health station offers medical rehabilitation and dispenses over 180 common medications.

On the third floor, the "Hongqiao Memory Home" supports families dealing with cognitive decline. Staff members use music therapy to stimulate short-term memory and improve language skills. Healthier seniors also participate in these activities to help prevent cognitive issues.

For residents like Pan, the center provides physical safety and social connection. She stays in touch with old neighbors using WeChat. She regularly messages a friend who recently moved to a traditional nursing home.

"It is so happy for older people to meet old friends," Pan said.