Competition in Guiyang to improve professionalism in senior care

The 2021 Guiyang and Guian Senior Care Vocational Skills Competition begins in Guiyang on Sept 5. [Photo/Guiyang news network]

The 2021 Guiyang and Guian Senior Care Vocational Skills Competition began in Guiyang, capital of Southwest China's Guizhou province, on Sept 5. 

Sponsored by Guiyang municipal people's government, the three-day competition attracts 64 entries from 16 teams in Guiyang and Guian New Area to compete against each other in theoretical knowledge and operational skills related to life care, basic care, rehabilitation services, and psychological support targeting senior residents.

According to data from the seventh census released by the National Bureau of Statistics in May, there are 731,200 elderly people aged over 60 with registered permanent residence in Guiyang. The city has an aging rate of 16.72 percent, which is higher than the Guizhou provincial average. Increased population aging has brought new challenges to senior care services.

The senior care service industry has been developing rapidly in Guiyang in recent years. 

The city has earned titles such as "National Pilot City for Comprehensive Reform of Senior Care Services", "National Pilot Unit for Integrated Medical Care and Health Care", and "Comprehensive Innovation Pilot City for Response to Population Aging in Guiyang". 

It has built 240 senior care service institutions and 518 rural senior mutual-aid centers, prepared 25,093 beds for senior care, created a number of health care service brands, and built a number of national and provincial health care demonstration bases. 

However, insufficient senior care professionals and low professionalism among nursing staff members have restricted the rapid development of senior care.

The competition thus aimed to promote the development of an elderly service professional team in Guiyang and Guian New Area, improve the professionalism of elderly service practitioners, and increase the social recognition of elderly care workers. 

The top 14 people in the competition will join the team to participate in the Guizhou Senior Care Vocational Skills Competition at the end of September. First-place winners in the provincial competition will represent Guizhou in the national finals to be held in November this year.