The 2025 government work report emphasized advancing community-supported home-based elderly care, strengthening care for disabled seniors, expanding meal assistance, rehabilitation equipment support, and rural elderly care services. In response, Jilin Province is piloting a "social worker + volunteer" model to provide emotional support, daily care, and self-fulfillment platforms for seniors who prefer aging at home.

Volunteer Wang Lei, with a decade of experience, leads an association creating shared spaces where elders tend vegetable plots, share communal meals, and socialize. China's "9073" elderly care framework shows 90% choose home care, highlighting the need for such initiatives. Under Jilin's Volunteer Federation, 30 communities are testing this approach.

In Tonghua's Liube County, the "Shared Village Community" repurposed factory dormitories into a compound with gardens, kitchens, and activity areas. Sixty-five-year-old Liu Renli, among the first 32 members, explains how participants earn "work points" through farming or crafts to redeem meals or services. The program categorizes seniors by mobility—those under 75 contribute light labor while octogenarians receive free meals.

Funding comes creatively: plots rented to young families for children's agricultural education generate ¥36,500 annually. Handicraft sales supplement income. "We're building a self-sustaining model where elders and volunteers co-create care solutions," says community official Cai Qiuyu.

In Changchun's older neighborhoods, 85% of residents are retirees. Communities install safety rails for disabled seniors and smart home devices for 87 solo dwellers. Volunteer teams provide 15-minute emergency response and companionship activities like group pickling or courtyard banquets.

Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture's "Silver Age Daycare" offers courses from tai chi to smartphone classes. Participant Liu Xiuju, 68, attends daily for calligraphy and choir. "It beats staying home alone," she remarks.

Social work expert Xu Bo notes: "Professional intervention expands home-care possibilities—from dementia screening to caregiver training." His team's "Memory Package Project" now conducts cognitive assessments across Jilin.

As China's aging intensifies, these community-driven experiments demonstrate how localized cooperation can reinvent elder care beyond institutional approaches.