Baokang County in Hubei Province has been prioritizing elderly care services as a key component of social welfare improvements. The county has adopted a dedicated approach to elevate service quality, initiating reforms for direct county-level management of township welfare homes. By concentrating on five crucial areas — facility construction, leadership selection, staff development, safety management, and service enhancement — the county is building its "Five Good Elderly Care" brand: a good environment, good directors, good teams, good mechanisms, and good services.
Unified Resource Allocation for a Livable and Suitable Environment
To advance the reform of direct county-level management of township welfare homes, Baokang County has established a comprehensive work system involving county committee coordination, government leadership, civil affairs management, departmental collaboration, and full coverage across the region. Through measures such as capital investment, project empowerment, and facility upgrades, the county continuously strengthens the infrastructure of public welfare institutions. The Baokang County Civil Affairs Bureau actively seeks project support to build a robust three-tier elderly care service network at the county, township, and village levels. The goal is to transform public welfare institutions into eco-friendly, comfortable "family courtyards." The county has completed the relocation of the County Social Welfare Home and is advancing the construction of two major support centers in the northern and southern regions, establishing a balanced development pattern across the county. Fire safety standard upgrades have been completed at 11 township welfare homes, while 10 township facilities have undergone comprehensive renovations to become regional wellness hubs. Five township-level elderly care service complexes have been established, offering expanded services like day care and short-term respite care. Underutilized village resources are being repurposed to create mutual-aid stations for rural seniors, precisely addressing their needs for meal assistance, bathing support, rehabilitation, and emotional connection.
Selecting Capable Leaders for Dedicated Management
Talent is essential for advancing high-quality elderly care development. Baokang County is focused on appointing exceptional "leaders" to manage township welfare homes. During the transition to county-level management, the county adopted a model combining civil affairs department assignments with township delegations to place outstanding cadres in management roles. In May 2026, the Civil Affairs Bureau handpicked five young, politically aware, and professionally skilled cadres from its core team to serve as directors of township welfare homes. Additionally, through open recruitment in public institutions, eight highly qualified individuals have joined the reserve team for elderly care management. These recruits are currently gaining practical experience at township welfare homes, with appointments made as they demonstrate readiness. Deputy directors are selected and promoted from staff members who have shown exceptional service and professional expertise.
Unified Staff Development for a Professional and Skilled Team
Baokang County implements a unified management mechanism for staff at public welfare institutions, covering centralized deployment, recruitment, job assignment, salary structure, and performance reviews. This approach cultivates a stable, professional, and skilled elderly care workforce. The county optimizes staff composition by redistributing older employees, recruiting younger talent, and reassigning existing personnel to appropriate roles. Caregivers, cooks, safety officers, and other staff undergo regular training and are required to hold relevant certifications. Incentive programs, such as salary increases for certified caregivers, encourage professional growth. Routine activities include theoretical training, fire and flood evacuation drills, and safety education sessions. Staff are also actively encouraged to participate in provincial and municipal vocational skills competitions.
Unified Management Systems for Safe and Reliable Operations
The county is building standardized systems for financial management, safety control, and service protocols to ensure effective governance over personnel, finances, and operations. Following a model of centralized management with separate accounting and unified reporting, all special funds — including support payments for institutionalized impoverished individuals, care services for those living at home, and one-time funeral expenses — are managed through a dedicated account at the county's elderly care service guidance center. This system involves detailed account classification, strict approval processes, and tight expenditure controls. A material distribution system has been implemented, featuring unified purchasing, centralized delivery, full traceability, and demand-based supply to safeguard food safety. All procurement strictly adheres to qualification checks, quality inspections, daily delivery, and invoice documentation, ensuring complete traceability from procurement to warehouse outbound. The county has also developed a differentiated salary structure based on base pay, seniority, position, certifications, and performance. A unified evaluation mechanism links performance bonuses and penalties to job duties. County-level cadres are assigned to oversee specific townships and welfare homes, with middle-level managers serving as concurrent "first directors." Leadership participates in regular meal inspections, and county officials work on-site to address challenges at grassroots welfare homes, empowering them to improve service delivery.
Unified Service Standards for Professional and Normative Care
In line with national, provincial, and municipal elderly care service standards, Baokang County has optimized service processes tailored to mountainous conditions, establishing detailed responsibility checklists and performance assessment criteria. The Civil Affairs Bureau, in collaboration with the county market supervision department, has developed management regulations for elderly care institution canteens. A joint inspection mechanism involving seven departments, including market supervision and fire safety, has been established to conduct comprehensive evaluations. Emergency response plans for fire safety and disaster prevention are revised for each facility with input from relevant departments. The county has implemented 20 management systems and service standards across four categories — positions, operations, affairs, and emergencies — all publicly displayed and integrated into performance reviews. Detailed implementation and evaluation rules for township welfare homes have been issued, along with comprehensive job responsibility checklists for directors, deputy directors, cooks, caregivers, and safety officers. Management standards for critical areas such as fire control rooms, kitchens, finance offices, and duty rooms have been strengthened. Safety management, care services, asset management, and work discipline are all part of the evaluation criteria, with results influencing commendations and performance-based rewards. This system motivates staff to continuously improve service quality.
Through the "Five Good Elderly Care" brand initiative, Baokang County is translating the institutional advantages of county-level management reforms into tangible improvements in elderly care experiences for mountain residents. The services are evolving from basic "guaranteed support" to higher "quality care." Going forward, the county will continue addressing the specific challenges of elderly care in mountainous areas, optimizing policy frameworks, and filling service gaps to ensure seniors enjoy more comfortable, secure, and heartwarming lives in their later years.