Senior residents of the Shenzhen Elderly Care Nursing Home attend a robot experience activity on a Friday afternoon. ZHU HONGBO/NANFANG DAILY

Sept. 23, 2024 -- The running of nursing homes is being made easier with the rapid development of technology, despite there remaining many challenges faced in elderly care.

On a sunny afternoon in June, the fifth floor of Shenzhen Elderly Care Nursing Home was filled with laughter as two robots, named "Wukong" and "Xiaobao", danced to cheerful music, delighting the residents. "Every Friday afternoon, we have a one-hour robot experience activity, which always attracts many seniors to participate," said social worker Hong Xianghui. The two robots have become new "companions" for the elderly.

A resident tries to order food on a tablet at the canteen of the nursing home in Shenzhen, Guangdong province. ZHU HONGBO/NANFANG DAILY

There are even more intimate "companions" that have brought warmth to the elderly residents in the nursing home in Shenzhen, Guangdong province.

Ninety-year-old Grandma Lin has dementia. "Her emotions were not very stable. Sometimes she would unlock her wheelchair, posing a risk of falling, and she would also randomly pick up and throw things on tables in the common area," said her caregiver Xu Chunyan.

In 2022, when Lin was gifted a doll, her attention was immediately captivated. "She treated the doll as her own baby, never leaving its side. When the weather turned cold, she would even tuck the doll in with a blanket," Xu said. The doll gradually stabilized Lin's emotions, prompting her to initiate conversations with others and return to a normal daily routine.

Grandma Chen, 87, and her husband, 89, play basketball in the nursing home. ZHU HONGBO/NANFANG DAILY

In terms of cognitive care, the nursing home also launched the "Old Friends" cognitive health training camp in April. The activity combines games, gardening, assignments, aromatherapy and multi-sensory therapies to improve the cognitive functions of the elderly and enhance their quality of life. "This approach has the advantages of being economical, convenient, safe and easy to implement," Hong said.

As of August, there were more than 300 elderly residents living in the nursing home, with a significant proportion being disabled or having dementia.

Grandma Su, 84, plays on a claw machine in the playroom. ZHU HONGBO/NANFANG DAILY

Uncle Peng, 82, who had been bedridden since a cerebral hemorrhage in May last year, moved into the nursing home at the beginning of this year. Caregiver Zhu Meiyu attempted to use a "portable intelligent bathing machine" to assist Uncle Peng with bathing, allowing him to bathe in bed, solving issues related to difficult movements and repositioning in bed.

In the rehabilitation center, Grandma Chen uses an interactive rehabilitation training system to strengthen her upper body muscles.

"This game-like exercise is never boring," said rehabilitation therapist Hao Huiyan. With the rapid development of technology, the nursing home is making great effort to help its elderly residents journey from "aging" to "enjoying aging", Hao said.

Residents use the interactive rehabilitation training system to exercise. ZHU HONGBO/NANFANG DAILY

Grandma Li, 90, watches a robot dancing on the table. ZHU HONGBO/NANFANG DAILY

A resident looks at the nursing home's intelligent monitoring system. ZHU HONGBO/NANFANG DAILY