Making Significant Efforts in Five Great Articles on Finance—Fehorizon Promoting the Construction of Age-Friendly Society with Improved Sense of Contentment, Happiness and Security for Elderly Patients
On the 9th day of the 9th lunar month—the Double Ninth Festival, a colorful variety of celebrations were held at the member hospitals of HCHORIZON (a large-scale healthcare group under Fehorizon), nursing homes and community health centers. The elderly patients and seniors staying there enjoyed a happy, auspicious and healthy holiday.
The traditional Chinese virtues of respecting, loving and helping the elderly should not only be reflected in the Double Ninth Festival but also integrated into the daily life by caring for the elderly. In the Priority Tasks for Further Reforming the Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Systems for 2024 recently issued by the General Office of the State Council, it is explicitly put forward to enhance the standardized construction of the Department of Geriatric Medicine in general hospitals and accelerate the construction of age-friendly medical institutions. Promoting age-friendly culture and striving to create age-friendly medical institutions have become one of the key tasks. Guided by the county-based and elderly-oriented “Healthy China” initiative, HCHORIZON’s 26 member hospitals have internalized respect for the elderly in mind and externalized the virtue with actions, constantly promoting various aspects to satisfy the medical needs of the elderly group and improve their healthcare experience. Up to now, multiple member hospitals have been awarded as municipal and provincial age-friendly medical institutions.
Establishing an Age-Friendly Service System
Solving the problem of "can't understand, can't find, can't wait"
Survey shows that more than 70% of elderly people choose to go to a doctor alone due to unaccompanied by children. With the expansion of hospitals and popularization of information technology, the difficulty of getting medical services faced by the elderly has become increasingly more prominent.
In recent years, HCHORIZON’s member hospitals have been actively promoting the construction of age-friendly medical institutions and carrying out actions in aspects including therapeutic regimen, management system, hospital culture, nursing care and age-friendly environment, to gradually establish and perfect an elderly-oriented service system and effectively solve problems concerning the difficulty of getting medical services experienced by the elderly unaccompanied by children.
In October 2023, Chengdu Jinsha Hospital received the title of “Age-Friendly Medical Institution” of Chengdu. In the Hospital, multiple age-friendly facilities and various customized services continue to improve the experience of elderly patients. In accordance with the Codes for Accessibility Design, the Hospital has set up wheelchair-accessible paths and toilets and given priority to serving the elderly (such as the temporary parking signs for seniors); meanwhile, its medical care personnel offer volunteer services including guidance and escort for the elderly around the clock, to create a cultural environment of respecting, loving and helping the elderly.
The Qinghai Kangle Hospital has a “learning Lei Feng volunteer service station” at the reception area of its outpatient hall, which provides consultation, appointment and guide services for the elderly. The Hospital has also set up a “green window” at the outpatient fee-collection counter and dispensary to offer quick services, including fee collection, medicine pick-up, reimbursement and admission & discharge.
As an age-friendly medical institution of Liaoning Province, Linghai Dalinghe Hospital continuously perfects its “Internet + healthcare” services for the elderly. Its outpatient hall is equipped with professionally trained mobile toll collectors to guide and help seniors through various processes, ensuring that intelligent register machine and online payment function normally and that elderly patients can take a number, wait in line, pay the fees and have various reports printed quickly and conveniently.
Outside hospitals, activities including free clinic for public welfare, health campaigns, nursing home visits and on-site medical services are conducted on a regular basis. Through collaboration with communities and neighbors, day care centers are opened, and volunteer services are offered for public welfare.
Promoting the Smooth Flow of "Medicine" in All Aspects
with Focus on the Characteristics of Elderly Patients
According to public data, currently 190 million elderly people in China are suffering from chronic diseases, while the diagnosis and treatment of aging-related diseases and the management of chronic diseases need improvement.
Targeting the physical characters and functions of the elderly population, HCHORIZON’s member hospitals continue to enhance its diagnosis & treatment level and set up diagnosis & treatment plans by category, and carry out an integrated multidisciplinary management service mode, to effectively meet the medical service needs of the elderly population.
As an age-friendly medical institution of Guangdong Province, Shenzhen Zhonghai Hospital provides outpatient and inpatient services such as comprehensive geriatric assessment, early identification and intervention, and multidisciplinary consultation for four types of elderly patients (geriatric syndromes, asthenia, incapacitation and dementia), and carries out screening for high-risk conditions among hospitalized elderly patients. Meanwhile, the Hospital’s customer service department conducts specific satisfaction surveys targeting elderly patients, to follow up and make improvement based on their opinions.
Siyang TCM Hospital is an exemplary age-friendly medical institution of Jiangsu Province and winner of the national honor “Valuable Case” in the selection of innovation cases organized by the National Health Commission. Centered around elderly patients, the Hospital’s integrated medical and nursing service mode, which features combined treatment of diseases, combined management of symptoms and holistic care, has received many praises for realizing more convenient, fast and comfortable health and medical services for elderly patients. Meanwhile, by shifting service windows forward, the Hospital has created the “by your side, bedside, peripheral” medial service mode and come up with measures including bedside settlement and home bath assistance for the convenience of the people, to effectively solve the problems faced by elderly patients while seeking medical services.
Since successfully establishing the age-friendly medical institution of Henan Province in 2021, Xinxiang Tongmeng Hospital has been actively carrying out integrated multidisciplinary management services in the Department of Geriatric Medicine and departments with the majority of patients being seniors. A comprehensive geriatric assessment is especially set up to carry out screening for high-risk conditions among hospitalized elderly patients and provide assessment and intervention services for comprehensive geriatric and aged care issues. Meanwhile, it has established a perfect geriatric medicine training system, to carry out regular training on geriatric psychology, sociology and communication skills with the elderly.
As the elderly population grows continuously, to provide them with a more friendly and comfortable living environment has become an important issue of social development. Adhering to the patient-oriented philosophy, HCHORIZON has taken the initiative to promote and pass on age-friendly ideas and culture, and integrate the traditional Chinese virtues of respecting and loving the elderly. In the future, it will keep vigorously developing the construction of the Department of Geriatric Medicine, expand the diversity of services for the elderly, improve the overall level of age-friendly services constantly, and contribute to the construction of an age-friendly society continuously.