In recent years, Zhoucun Township has focused on the practical needs of elderly residents in its jurisdiction, continuously strengthening the village-level elderly care service infrastructure. To date, the township has completed and put into operation 8 village-level elderly day care centers, along with 14 village-level meal assistance points, achieving broad coverage of elderly care services for the local senior population.
The eight day care centers are located in Shangzhang Village, Xiazhang Village, Xiahe Village, Xiating Village, Weiting Village, Hecun Village, Liyan Village, and Xizhuang Village. Each site strictly adheres to standards by setting up five functional areas: activity rooms, rest rooms, rehabilitation rooms, reading rooms, and meal preparation rooms. Basic service facilities are fully equipped, food safety regulations are rigorously implemented, and internal operations and daily management systems are well-established, ensuring the standardized and orderly operation of elderly care services.
On the foundation of standardized construction, each village tailors its services to the local elderly population's demographic structure, living habits, and actual needs, expanding service content according to local conditions and providing diverse, high-quality elderly care. This ensures that local seniors can enjoy warm meals, pleasant recreation, and a secure life right at their doorstep, continually enhancing their sense of fulfillment, happiness, and security.
Weiting Village: Integrating Meals with Wellness, Heartwarming Health Services
Weiting Village's day care center is the largest in the township, covering over 500 square meters and serving more than 800 residents aged 60 and above from the entire village. The center provides meal assistance as its core service, supplemented by health monitoring, leisure, and entertainment activities, seamlessly combining dining, wellness, and recreation to meet the multi-layered needs of the elderly. The 130-square-meter dining area is fully equipped, with separate kitchen and food preparation zones to uphold strict food safety standards. The fitness and rehabilitation room, linked with the village clinic, offers health checks such as blood glucose testing and temperature measurement. Eight rest rooms are furnished with beds for afternoon naps, while the 54-square-meter reading room boasts a rich collection of books and over 50 reading seats. This approach not only addresses the daily dining challenges of seniors but also balances health monitoring with cultural enrichment, greatly boosting the effectiveness of rural elderly care and improving seniors' quality of life.
Hecun Village: A Long-Established Hub, Safeguarding Every Meal
Hecun Village's day care center, established in 2012, is located southwest of the village's main square and stands as a time-honored elderly care facility. Covering 200 square meters, it is fully equipped with activity rooms, rest rooms, and a kitchen-dining area. The village places food safety above all else, strictly enforcing a food sample retention policy with dedicated storage cabinets. Each dish is sampled at over 125 grams, preserved at 0-8°C for 72 hours, and meticulously logged in a retention register. Seniors aged 70 and above can dine for just 1 yuan, with services like beds and nursing care provided free of charge. Through an integrated model of dining, rest, and leisure, the center delivers affordable and considerate care to seniors, effectively alleviating the difficulties of dining and the lack of support faced by the very old, allowing them to enjoy a convenient and comfortable twilight life close to home.
Xiahe Village: Upgraded Facilities, Strengthened Operations with Standardized Oversight
Xiahe Village's elderly day care center underwent a quality improvement project in 2024, focusing on roof waterproofing repairs, renovating kitchen and dining room walls, and supplementing cooking utensils. The facility now features clearly demarcated zones for dining, food preparation, and storage, alongside improved management systems and work records. Food safety requirements are strictly followed, with all staff holding proper certifications and a valid food service license, driving full-process standardization of daily operations. Through meticulous and regulated management, the center firmly protects the safety of every meal for seniors. Additionally, rest rooms have been outfitted with extra beds and water dispensers, while reading, entertainment, rehabilitation, and dining spaces are now more fully equipped, meeting diverse needs such as rest, cultural activities, health recovery, and daily meals, thereby creating a livable and comfortable village-level elderly care space.
Beyond these, the day care centers in Shangzhang Village, Xiazhang Village, Xiating Village, Liyan Village, and Xizhuang Village also adhere to construction standards and operate services based on their local elderly demographics. Although conditions vary across villages, all prioritize meeting the basic needs of seniors, efficiently managing daily operations, regularly providing meal assistance, organizing a variety of cultural and sports activities, and delivering heartfelt daily care services.
Looking ahead, Zhoucun Township will continue to optimize the service functions of each village-level day care center, focusing on the urgent concerns of seniors, refining meal support, health care, and recreational enrichment measures, and constantly innovating service models to improve operational efficiency. The goal is to make rural elderly care more grounded and community-oriented, ensuring that seniors in the area feel supported, find joy, and enjoy a peaceful and fulfilling old age.