When nurse Zhao Zhanping received an alert over the phone, it indicates that Wang Mingxiang was detected in Bed No. 2 after midnight at Jinyang Elderly Care Home in Pudong New area of Shanghai, indicating that immediate attention was required. Zhao rushed to his room without hesitation.
The first to detect the problem was a smart mattress under the elderly, not a caregiver. At the same time, the king’s family received the same warning on their mobile phones.
Thanks to a real-time surveillance system, Wang, who has a history of stroke, was immediately taken to hospital and treated in time.
At Jinyang Eldelly Care Home, smart mattresses are just one of many intelligent devices currently integrated into everyday tasks. The facility’s lobby features large electronic displays, an information system that provides real-time monitoring of residents’ health status, clearly indicating the time, location and circumstances of risks and interventions.
“The system functions as the brain of our operations, but smart devices installed throughout the facility work like eyes and skin. This is to detect and feed information in the center.”
“The bathrooms and showers are high-risk areas for waterfalls. The lights on the ceiling here double as ‘electronic radar’ to illuminate the room and detect waterfalls and other emergencies,” Chen told People’s Daily.
Shanghai is one of China’s fastest-ageing cities. According to local government plans, the city aims to establish at least 100 smart care homes by the end of 2025, with over 70 already in construction so far.
“The original purpose of building a smart elderly care home in Shanghai is to increase system efficiency and improve service delivery through technology,” said Li Sujin, deputy director of senior citizen services, Shanghai Civil Affairs Bureau.
According to Li, Shanghai is expanding the implementation of technology-enabled elderly care products at institutions, creating a more specialized, efficient and integrated smart care ecosystem.
For frontline workers like caregiver Chen Juxiu, digital transformation is already making a noticeable difference.
While helping 96-year-old Zhong Jianmei with bathing, Chen simply pushed a button and robotic transfer device co-developed by the care home, and the tech company automatically lowered its arms and footrests to lift residents out of the wheelchair and moved them into the shower area.
“Supporting seniors with limited mobility was really challenging in the past,” recalls Chen. “I remember whether it took four caregivers to lift a 90-kilogram residents. Now, this robot allows one person to safely complete the task.
Jinyang Eldelly Care Home is managed by Puhui Pension Service, which oversees 16 facilities.
“The lack of staff and the elderly workforce are real challenges,” said General Manager Gao Wanjie.
“By taking over repetitive and physically demanding tasks by our smart devices, our caregivers can focus more on providing personalized, high-quality services and addressing the emotional needs of our residents.”
The change is clear for Junmian, one of the first residents to move to the upgraded smart facility. “Careers now have time to talk to us and the service feels warmer and more polite,” she said.
Her old Colebell has been replaced by a visual intercom system, making it easier to reach staff when they need help.
From obstacle-avoiding wheelchairs and robotic servers to AI-powered chess buddies, Smart ElderCare Homes is introducing an increasing number of age-friendly innovations that benefit both residents and staff.
“With continuous innovation and new technology being applied, we envision future care homes to evolve into hubs for the elderly care industry,” Gao added.
According to Chen Xue, Jinyang’s average monthly fee is around 5,000 yuan ($694), which is a medium price by Shanghai standards. “Prices aren’t rising with the smart upgrade,” she said.
However, she also said, “When using smart technology, we must always consider the feelings of our residents. Technology cannot completely replace the warmth of human care. A truly intelligent care home must combine efficiency with empathy.”
Huang Xiaohui (People’s Daily)