Monitoring the quality of sleep via the internet, grabbing an object using robotic arms or automatically counting the calories on your plate: in China where the population is aging, technology is giving the elderly a helping hand.
This week, hundreds of retirees flocked to a Shanghai fair entirely dedicated to them, marveling at the inventions meant to make their daily lives easier.
In 2022, China had some 215 million people over 65 out of a population of 1.4 billion, according to official figures.
China’s population has been in decline since 2020, after growing steadily for 60 years, raising fears of a sharp decline in the working population and increased pressure on its health system as the country has more and more elderly people. .
As families generally have only one child, it is difficult to rely solely on him to care for his elderly parents. The exhibitors at the show have understood this well and are proposing that technology comes as a complement.
Visitors during a fair dedicated to seniors in Shanghai, China, June 13, 2024 / HECTOR RETAMAL / AFP
At 64, Mr. Yu is one of the visitors to the show. Among the crowd, he watches a company demonstrate an automated stair-climbing chair and devices that can move a person from a bed to a wheelchair.
“Nowadays, there are fewer and fewer young people and more and more old people, so these smart products can provide better services to the elderly”he declares, impressed.
He himself says he has already purchased smart chairs and beds for older members of his family, including a 90-year-old relative who he takes care of.
“Save”
At another stand, the company Innopro, from Shenzhen (south), promises families high-tech and constant monitoring of their elders, via connected watches, motion detectors and devices to measure temperature.
Among its clients: retirement homes and local governments.
“For institutions, the hope is to save on labor costs because it is necessary to carry out checks (of each resident) every evening”explains Jin Guohui, an employee of Innopro, to AFP.
Visitors take a nap while testing a sleep cabin during a show dedicated to seniors in Shanghai, China, June 13, 2024 / HECTOR RETAMAL / AFP
“With this device, we reduce their work”he said, showing a small white box equipped with a SIM card, which measures everyone’s vital signs and habits.
At another company, Eihoo Health Management, which manages canteens for the elderly, it is the meal plate that comes with a chip, allowing the food served on it to be identified.
When paying, a device reads the information from the chip and provides a complete nutritional report with the number of calories and the distribution of proteins, carbohydrates and lipids, making it easier to monitor your health.
Regular canteen patrons can set up payment cards that monitor their weight, nutritional habits and health data.
“Learning phase”
At the Shanghai Jiao Tong University student stand, the gadget on display is a robotic arm that helps those with reduced mobility accomplish everyday tasks such as feeding themselves or turning doorknobs.
This use of technology is a real revolution in traditional Chinese culture, which requires family members to take care of their elders at home.
There is “clearly differences” between the elderly today in China and previous generations, recognizes Shi Wenjun, 73, who came to take a look at the show.
Visitors during a fair dedicated to seniors in Shanghai, China, June 13, 2024 / HECTOR RETAMAL / AFP
“We are all parents with one child”And “our children are almost 50 years old, they have their jobs, their families, so when we are older, we will choose the care structures for the elderly offered by the government”she assures AFP.
“If older people can use smart technologies, they won’t bother others”she adds.
Shi Wenjun, who volunteers to organize activities for the elderly in her neighborhood, says she has converted to most new technologies, including smartphones.
“But for many things, we are still in the learning phase”she admits.
