Guangzhou Elderly Care Expo recommends the latest elderly care policies for you: On October 12, 2023, the China Organization Organization Network released the "Notice of the General Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council on Adjusting the Organizational Structure of the National Health Commission". Two adjustments related to aging work are: to formulate and coordinate the implementation of policies and measures to address population aging by the National Health Commission The specific responsibilities and responsibilities of the National Committee on Aging Work shall be transferred to the Ministry of Civil Affairs; The China Association for the Elderly, managed by the National Health Commission, has been transferred to the Ministry of Civil Affairs. The signing date of this notice is September 24, 2023.

Interface News noticed that the website of the Ministry of Civil Affairs has forwarded this notice and a recent work update of the National Aging Work Committee published by its direct affiliated unit, China Social News. This means that after more than half a year of deliberation and handover of institutional reform plans, the elderly work has officially returned to the Ministry of Civil Affairs.

During the 2023 National Two Sessions, the State Council's institutional reform plan was submitted for review at the first session of the 14th National People's Congress. The reform plan proposes to transfer the responsibilities of the National Health Commission to the Ministry of Civil Affairs, including organizing, drafting, coordinating and implementing policies and measures to address population aging, and undertaking specific tasks of the National Aging Work Committee; The Office of the National Committee on Aging has been relocated to the Ministry of Civil Affairs, strengthening its responsibilities for comprehensive coordination, supervision and guidance, and organizing the promotion of the development of the elderly cause; The China Association for the Elderly is now managed by the Ministry of Civil Affairs.

The National Committee on Aging was established in 1999, with its office located in the Ministry of Civil Affairs and its daily work undertaken by the China Association for Aging. After 2005, the National Office for Aging and the China Association for Aging implemented a joint office, working under the name of the National Office for Aging in China, and mainly conducting international exchanges and cooperation on aging affairs under the name of the China Association for Aging internationally.

During the institutional reform in 2018, the newly established National Health Commission's functions included actively responding to the aging population, accelerating the development of the aging cause and industry, and providing comprehensive and full cycle health services to the people. After the institutional reform, the daily work of the National Committee on Aging was undertaken by the National Health Commission. The China Association for the Elderly, which is managed by the Ministry of Civil Affairs, has also been transferred to the National Health Commission.

Regarding the reform plan at that time, relevant parties interpreted that with the reform and popularization of pension insurance, the increasing medical and health expenses for the elderly in China, the worrying health status of the elderly, and the deterioration of health conditions in the elderly caused by health problems before the elderly period have become more prominent contradictions. The focus of the aging industry has gradually shifted to health issues, which is not very consistent with the functional positioning of the Ministry of Civil Affairs itself, The new functional adjustment is also aimed at solving this problem.

According to Daily Economic News, after the institutional reform in 2018, the National Health Commission established the Department of Aging Health, whose main function is to organize the formulation and coordination of policy measures to address aging. Organize the formulation of policies, standards, and norms for the integration of medical and elderly care, and establish and improve the elderly health service system. Undertake the specific work of the National Committee on Aging Work.

In the organizational structure table of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, there is a Department of Elderly Care Services, mainly responsible for the welfare work of the elderly, drafting plans, policies, and standards for the construction of the elderly welfare subsidy system and elderly care service system, coordinating and promoting care services for the left behind elderly in rural areas, and guiding the management of elderly care services, elderly welfare, and assistance and support institutions for the extremely poor.

The report cites expert opinions that, in terms of institutional functions, the Health Commission is mainly responsible for the health and hygiene of the elderly. However, in reality, the work on aging is very complex, including elderly education, further participation in social activities, and even elderly care, which are not within the scope of the Health Commission's responsibilities.

The interface news notes that as early as 2019, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council issued the "Medium and Long Term Plan for Actively Responding to Population Aging", which has elevated addressing aging to a national strategy. In 2022, China's population experienced negative growth for the first time in 61 years, with the proportion of people aged 65 and above rising to 14.9%, entering a deeply aging society. With the increasingly severe aging situation, the original aging work system is also facing reform.

Some scholars believe that in the five years since the inclusion of elderly work in the National Health Commission, the intensity of work has weakened. In an interview with the Economic Observer, an expert said, "Previously, at the Ministry of Civil Affairs, there were elderly care offices at the national and county levels, including most township levels. However, after joining the health system, half of the cities no longer had elderly care offices

The allocation of elderly work to the Health Commission also complicates some tasks. A person engaged in home based elderly care services in a certain county in the western region said that the county civil affairs bureau purchased services from its company to provide home based elderly care services for "five guaranteed households". Originally, only the coordination with the civil affairs bureau was needed. However, due to the health information of some elderly people being in the county health bureau, they often need to contact the health bureau. "Running multiple departments for one thing is very complicated." He believes that after the elderly work is included in the civil affairs system, future work will be smoother.

Wu Yushao, Vice President of the Institute of Aging at Fudan University, told Interface News that before the institutional reform in 2018, the Office of the National Aging Work Committee had been working at the Ministry of Civil Affairs and had accumulated considerable experience in aging work. In the work of elderly care, elderly care services are the main content, and grassroots political power, social affairs, community construction, social organization management, welfare lottery, etc. in the business of the civil affairs department are closely related to elderly care. After the responsibility of elderly care is assigned to the civil affairs department, it is conducive to integrating resources, forming joint forces, and collaborative development, and better performing elderly care work in the new era.

He stated that in the current round of party and state institutional reform, assigning the responsibility of elderly work to the Ministry of Civil Affairs has important and far-reaching significance for implementing the national strategy of actively responding to aging, and doing a good job in elderly work and elderly care services.

On October 13th, several individuals close to the National Office for Aging stated to the Economic Observer Network that the Ministry of Civil Affairs will establish a dedicated Department of Aging Work to undertake the functions of the National Office for Aging, which was originally established under the National Health Commission.

One person close to the National Office for Aging revealed that the Department of Aging Work and the current Department of Elderly Care Services of the Ministry of Civil Affairs have not merged. However, the Director of the Department of Elderly Care Services, Yu Jianliang, will participate in the construction part-time. Currently, the "three fixed plan" for the Department of Aging Work has not been introduced, and the specific functional responsibilities are not yet determined.

Nowadays, the functions of the National Office for Aging and the China Association for Aging will not only return to the Ministry of Civil Affairs, but also establish a specialized department level organization.

Regarding the impact of the establishment of the Department of Aging Work, those close to the National Office of Aging believe that this indicates an increase in the importance that relevant departments attach to aging work. However, in the past, the National Office of Aging was actually a coordinating agency, and coordinating the work of various ministries was easier to obtain support. In the future, it remains to be seen whether the coordination function can be strengthened after becoming a subsidiary department of specific ministries.

Article source: Interface News, Economic Observer