With internet-connected sleep monitors, robotic arms and calorie-counting cafeteria plates, China's elder care industry is hoping automation will provide the solution to an ageing population and a shrinking workforce.
Hundreds of retirees were among visitors to a crowded industry fair in Shanghai this week, thronging booths touting everything from luxury retirement homes to physiotherapy robots.
China's population has declined since 2022 after more than 60 years of uninterrupted growth, prompting fears of a future labour crunch and growing pressure on its healthcare system as millions of citizens enter old age.
Rather than relying on people -- traditionally one's children -- to provide care, many of the fair's exhibitors showcased technological attempts to solve the demographic conundrum.
Yu, a 64-year-old visitor, was among a crowd watching a company demonstrate its automated stair-climbing machines alongside devices designed to lift people from their beds into wheelchairs.
He told AFP he was impressed.
"Nowadays there are fewer and fewer young people, and more and more old people, so these smart products can provide better services for older people," he said.
Yu said he had already purchased smart wheelchairs and beds for older family members, including a 90-year-old relative he was caring for.
Elsewhere, an array of smartwatches, motion detectors and temperature monitors at Shenzhen-based tech firm Innopro's booth promised families constant surveillance of their elders.
Targeting busy workers or those living apart from their loved ones, the company also boasts nursing homes and local governments among its clients.
"For institutions, they hope to save on labour costs because they usually need to conduct checks every night," employee Jin Guohui told AFP.
"This device can reduce their work," Jin said, showing off a small, SIM card-equipped white box that monitored sleeping patterns and signs of life.
China elder care sector plugs smart gadgets to fill workforce gaps
Previous
- Mikati Condemns Israeli Aggression in South Lebanon, Calls for International Intervention
- Head of travel and tourism offices syndicate Jean Abboud to MTV: The booking rates declined during the period of Israeli threats but have since returned to normal activity
- Abboud to MTV: The majority of visitors will be Lebanese expatriates, and the current situation creates hesitation among some; however, Lebanese love for their country surpasses this fear
- Abboud to MTV: Departure and arrival traffic will reach 80 flights by the end of this month, and if we continue at this rate, the total may reach around one million passengers
TWEET YOUR COMMENT