Every Wednesday afternoon, the melodic tunes of Yue Opera's "Eighteen Farewells" fill the air as silver-haired Mr. Chen, eyes gently closed, taps his fingers to the rhythm on his knees. The warm winter sunlight streams through the windows of the Yichuan Community Cultural Activity Center, casting a cozy glow on the rehearsal room floor. In the Yichuan Road neighborhood of Putuo District, such scenes are a daily reflection of the vibrant cultural life for seniors. The 24th Yichuan Opera Festival, deeply rooted in this environment, seamlessly integrates with the theme of "respecting and caring for the elderly."

Recently, this year's festival partnered with the Shanghai Charity Foundation's "Respect and Care for the Elderly" project, creating a unique synergy. On stage, the operas enchant the audience, while offstage, the "Charity Bazaar" bustles with activity. Seniors queue up at five zones offering health consultations,便民維修 (convenience repairs),非遺體驗 (intangible cultural heritage experiences), and愛心義賣 (charity sales), not to shop but to "enjoy the services."

This is just one glimpse into Yichuan Road's elderly care initiatives.

**Smart Guardianship: Strengthening Home Safety** With an aging population of 46.14% and a concentration of older public housing,居家安全 (home safety), particularly fire prevention, is a top priority. Early this year, the neighborhood installed smoke detectors—dubbed "safety sentinels"—for 121 vulnerable孤老 (solitary elderly) households. But installation was just the beginning.

"The real challenge lies in the response mechanism," admitted Zhang Jing from the neighborhood's safety office. A "four-tier聯動" (four-level聯動) emergency response system was established: alerts simultaneously notify居委會 (residential committees),物業 (property management),街道值班室 (neighborhood duty offices), and社區微消防站 (micro fire stations). Since May 6, the system has triggered 60 responses, mostly false alarms from cooking fumes or moxibustion. Yet, each time, teams swiftly verify via phone or visits.

"We’d rather err on the side of caution," Zhang emphasized. This vigilance ensures the fledgling safety net radiates warmth.

**Property Services: Bridging the "Last 100 Meters"** In Yichuan, the "last 100 meters" of elderly care is being bridged by物業跨界 (property service跨界). At Yichuan No. 1 Village,保潔員 (cleaner) Mr. Wang now assists獨居 (solitary) Grandma Wang weekly, bundling her cardboard for recycling. "The earnings are still yours," he reassures her while chatting.

Launched in May, the "10+X" elderly care package transforms物業人員 (property staff) into "care partners," offering safety checks, trash disposal, and health visits. Guided by a neighborhood試點領導小組 (pilot leadership group), the initiative leverages物業's proximity and動態需求收集 (dynamic需求 collection) to refine services. The result? A model where "居委會 leads,物業 executes, and seniors thrive."

**Tech-Powered Silent Companionship** Yichuan also pioneers智慧養老 (smart elderly care). Putuo District's "One-Click Elderly Service" deploys compact vital-sign and fall monitors in qualifying homes.

At Zhongyuan Liangwan City, Grandma Zhuang's bedside monitor—using non-imaging radar—tracks her heart rate,呼吸 (breathing), and sleep quality, alerting anomalies. "My overseas children feel reassured," shared a社區服務辦 (community service) officer. For mobility-impaired Grandma Wu, fall detectors in her bathroom add safety.

"Elderly care has no finish line," stated a Yichuan Road official. "We’ll expand物業+養老 (property+care), optimize smart guardianship, and infuse cultural brands like the opera festival into services—ensuring every senior enjoys a warm, secure晚年生活 (later life) in familiar surroundings."