China丨Seniors find an appetite for community canteens

A community canteen in Dalian, Liaoning province, bustled with residents one morning last month, most of them elderly. They were attracted by the menu, which offered 10 dishes.

▲Seniors line up to buy set meals at a smart community canteen in Jinpu New Area, Dalian, Liaoning province, in January 2024. SHAO RUIXIANG/FOR CHINA DAILY

Visiting the canteen at the Haijing community in Jinpu New Area on Feb 22, Fan Ning, 69, said: "I ordered stir-fried cabbage, pork and tofu. It cost only 11 yuan ($1.50)."

She added that since the canteen opened in September, she has become used to taking the 10-minute walk from her home to eat there.

Fan expressed her gratitude for the convenience the canteen offers, particularly the affordable prices. She said that with her husband still working and her daughter living away from Dalian, she often struggled to prepare a nourishing lunch for herself at home.

"The canteen has provided a solution by offering a variety of dishes at reasonable prices, saving me the trouble of cooking," she added.

Data released by the National Bureau of Statistics show that in China the number of people who are 60 or older reached about 297 million by the end of last year, with some 217 million individuals aged 65 or older.

Survey data from the National Health Commission show that about 90 percent of the elderly in China choose home care, about 7 percent rely on community care, and some 3 percent live in institutional care.

Recognizing the significance of addressing elderly people's dining requirements, various levels of government have introduced meal assistance services for them by exploring the development of facilities such as senior canteens, dining tables for the elderly, and community canteens.

Despite the different names, the common goal is to ensure that the elderly enjoy accessible and nutritious meals.

"There is great demand for such restaurants near people's homes, as some seniors are unable or reluctant to cook three meals a day for themselves," said Xu Yang, director of the civil affairs bureau in Dalian Jinpu New Area.

Xu frequently interacts with netizens on the Douyin video-sharing platform. Her recent video about the community canteen has received nearly 300 comments, with many inquiring whether a similar canteen will be opened in their neighborhoods.

"Those who worry about whether their less-mobile parents can enjoy a hot lunch just need to contact a canteen nearby for the meals to be delivered to their home," Xu said.

Jinpu New Area is home to 24 government-supported community canteens, more than half of which provide home delivery services, ensuring that the elderly in need enjoy hot meals that are delivered quickly.

Xu said there is a commitment to further explore and establish standardized community canteens that offer traceable ingredients, ensure safety and hygiene, and maintain fair pricing.

"It is not a free meal, but an affordable and accessible service. The government should provide overall support while using market mechanisms and social forces to achieve sustainable development," she said.

Policy support

An action plan to promote the development of meal services for the elderly was released in October by 11 departments, including the Ministry of Civil Affairs, the National Development and Reform Commission, and the Ministry of Finance.

▲Seniors dine at a community canteen in Xuhui district, Shanghai, in August 2023. CHINA DAILY

The goal is to offer nutritious, affordable and accessible welfare meals for seniors, aimed at building a comprehensive and reasonable meal service network for the elderly that covers urban and rural areas.

The plan envisions that by the end of next year, provinces and regions that have implemented the policy of assisted meal services for the elderly throughout their jurisdiction will further extend services to urban and rural communities and make fresh progress in improving quality and efficiency. Provinces implementing the policy only in some areas should achieve breakthroughs in expanding services.

By the end of 2026, the coverage of assisted meal services for the elderly in urban and rural communities nationwide will be further improved, along with the service network, and a diversified supply network will be basically formed.

The plan advocates the development of inclusiveness and diversity, including the principles of government coordination and basic guarantees, tailored and targeted regional measures, and proactive use of market mechanisms. Enterprises and government-affiliated organizations are urged to take part in offering the service, and meal delivery services are also encouraged.

Back in the canteen at the Haijing community, Fan Ning was having lunch with her friends, Liu Changgang and his wife.

Liu, 70, voiced satisfaction with the canteen being near to their homes, appreciating the balanced taste, reasonable prices, and excellent service, which have resulted in the group visiting the establishment regularly.

"When we went to Shanghai, our relatives took us to a canteen for the elderly near their home, which made us very envious. Soon after I returned to Dalian, I found that a canteen had opened in my neighborhood. What a surprise," Liu said.

He added that he also admires the canteens for seniors in Shanghai and the discounts offered to different age groups.

To improve meal assistance services for the elderly, government departments throughout the country have introduced policies to provide different levels of subsidies for building canteens, along with covering dining expenses for the elderly based on local needs.

Data from Tianyancha, a leading corporate information provider in China, show that more than 11,000 community canteens are operating nationwide.

In Shanghai, the authorities have developed a meal assistance service system for the elderly, with community canteens or meal assistance points for seniors established near residential areas.

To address the financial strain on some meal assistance points, local authorities have launched an alliance of enterprises, including renowned catering companies, professional delivery organizations, and charitable enterprises, to ensure sustainability.

Some canteens are cooperating with takeout platforms in delivering meals to homes after the elderly order food on their phones. Subsidized dining coupons for seniors are also issued by certain canteens to offset dining costs.

In Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, a citywide smart meal assistance model has been launched. Since September 2022, residents who are 60 or older have enjoyed discounts at institutions recognizing the "City Pass".

Those in the 60 to 79 age group benefit from a 20 percent discount per meal, diners aged from 80 to 89 receive a 30 percent reduction, while those older than 90 are eligible for a 50 percent discount.

Writing in China Society News in November, Wu Yushao, a professor at the Fudan Institute on Aging and president of the China Association of Social Welfare and Senior Service, emphasized the need to effectively manage meal assistance services for the elderly, noting that nutrition deficiency among seniors often results from lifestyle habits.

He underscored the significance of such services in addressing cooking challenges, monotonous diets, and malnutrition among the elderly.

Wu also said many regions have integrated meal assistance services with other care services for the elderly. Existing facilities are used to create multifunctional activity spaces that provide dining, entertainment, healthcare, and leisure activities to promote greater social engagement among the elderly.

Dalian practice

The northeastern port city of Dalian plans to enhance basic care services for the elderly in homes and communities as part of its key livelihood projects this year. The work includes a concerted effort to develop meal assistance services for the elderly, with the aim of establishing 100 canteens for seniors and meal assistance facilities for them throughout the city.

▲Elderly customers buy meals at a community canteen in Jiaxing, Zhejiang province, in January 2024. XU YU/XINHUA

In January, the city's civil affairs bureau sought feedback from residents in a survey on the demand for meal assistance services for the elderly. More than 8,000 replies were received within a month, and the bureau is now drawing up a local plan in line with national and provincial guidelines.

The canteen at the Haijing community in Jinpu New Area has become a social hub for local seniors, offering a venue not only for eating but also for playing card games.

Fan Qing, general manager of Maiyatang, a local care services company for the elderly, said, "Acting on a suggestion from a group of people dancing in the nearby square, we opened a private room service to enable customers to order dishes, just like in a restaurant."

Maiyatang operates seven community canteens in Dalian, each with only two or three members, including a chef.

The company focuses on customer requirements and also provides a range of customized services, such as fruit and vegetable group purchases, food processing, and services for those who need medical care.

"Some customers require two meals to be delivered to their home each day. We charge them 900 yuan per month. Some need three meals delivered a day and for their rooms to be cleaned twice a week. We charge them 2,980 yuan per month. We also help turn sick patients over in bed for an additional fee," Fan said.

Of the 24 community canteens in Jinpu New Area, 11 are managed by Detai Kangyang, a subsidiary of local State-owned enterprise Dalian Detai Holdings. Fan provides services for three of the community canteens.

Shang Chengming, Party secretary of Detai Kangyang, a health and care company for seniors, said, "Meals for the elderly have their own characteristics, such as low oil, low salt and low sugar content, balanced nutrition and soft textures.

"We now need to establish a unified standard and make some adjustments according to the different consumption levels of local residents."

Shang said the company is building a comprehensive service structure for the elderly, which covers home and community care as well as inclusive and high-end institutional care.

Districts and counties in Dalian have taken a number of measures to explore and accelerate construction of community canteens. Some of these canteens have innovated their own business models, optimized the meals they offer, and now attract residents of all ages.

▲Seniors prepare to eat lunch at a canteen in the Longtan community, Tonglu county, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, in December 2023. CHINA DAILY

In Shahekou district, the civil affairs bureau is encouraging star-rated care institutions for the elderly and others with good facilities to open their dining services to the community, provide such services within the institution, and offer meal deliveries to seniors living nearby.

In Lyushunkou district, the canteen in the Changxing community has set up two WeChat groups with a total of more than 800 members.

Luan Jinling, who is in charge of the district's service center for the elderly, said: "The daily menu is sent to the groups so that residents can come to eat according to their preferences. They sometimes voice their opinions in the groups."

The community has nearly 5,000 residents, one-third of whom are more than 60 years old, she said.

"Running a community canteen for the elderly means giving up on young customer groups with higher consumption capacity. We're still exploring a way to balance costs and service," Luan said.

In addition to Luan's canteen, Desheng subdistrict set up another canteen at the Lixin community by cooperating with a local charity team.

This canteen, which opened in November, is funded and operated by Jin Yi, head of the team. With the aim of offering affordable dishes to customers, it charges those who are 70 or older just 12 yuan per meal.

The canteen offers free meals for local low-income groups, families of revolutionary martyrs and servicemen, the disabled, orphans, and families facing difficulties.

A smart community launched in Dongjiagou subdistrict, Jinpu, on Jan 26 features an automated cooking machine and a machine that can steam, roast and stew food. The community also offers discounts to people who are 60 or older and provides meal delivery services for those with mobility challenges and disabilities.

Local resident Li Dan said: "The dishes cooked by the machine tasted good. I couldn't tell whether they had been cooked by a chef or a machine."

The canteen also uses facial recognition and dish recognition technology for accurate billing and payment, as well as displaying real-time sales data on a large screen.

Established through the "government guidance, market-oriented operation" model, the canteen is operated by the catering management company Dalian Jiufu Tuanshan, which has kitchens in 25 cities nationwide that serve 520,000 meals to students at noon every day.

Li Songtao, the company's chairman, said, "The smart canteen not only provides residents with safe and healthy dining options, it can also save one-third of labor costs and raw material procurement costs.

"There is huge market potential, and we hope to develop a model that can be replicated and promoted nationwide."

Reporter: Zhang Xiaomin