Recently, following the standards of the "Shanghai Senior Care Institution Rating Management Measures" and after rigorous review by the Shanghai Senior Care Institution Rating Committee, the Third Xuhui District Senior Welfare Home of Shanghai (hereafter "Sanfuyuan") was successfully rated as a five-star senior care institution. As a benchmark affordable senior care facility in the district, how did Sanfuyuan stand out among numerous competitors to achieve this top honor? Director Wang Rongrong provided the answer: this achievement stems from the institution's decade-long dedication to standardized, refined, and warm senior care services.

Since officially commencing operations in October 2014, Sanfuyuan has offered 222 approved beds and is listed in Shanghai's basic senior care protection institution registry. Adhering to the positioning of "public ownership, professional operation, and affordable services," it has developed steadily. In 2023, it earned a four-star rating, and after two years of quality upgrades, has now achieved a breakthrough leap into the ranks of Shanghai's five-star senior care facilities.

Breaking Down Barriers to Create Immersive, Warm Senior Care

Unlike suburban mega-facilities with ample space, Sanfuyuan's footprint is limited, but it steadfastly upholds the philosophy of "limited space, unlimited service," striving to create a "fence-free" open care environment. This approach breaks down the walls between the institution, families, and society, ensuring seniors remain connected to the community, free from isolation, and surrounded by companionship and joy.

To enrich the cultural and spiritual lives of its residents, Sanfuyuan regularly hosts heartwarming activities. Monthly group birthday parties offer dedicated blessings and warmth to celebrating seniors, becoming a cherished tradition. Responding to residents' wishes to admire scenic landscapes and revisit memories, the institution has introduced "metaverse" technology, breaking through the constraints of time and space to offer "cloud tours" of famous national landmarks without leaving the premises.

Recognizing that many family members reside in other cities or overseas, making visits difficult, Sanfuyuan has built an online communication bridge. Through family groups, it shares residents' daily activities in real-time and supports video "cloud visits," allowing familial bonds to transcend distance. The facility also actively fosters intergenerational interaction platforms, regularly organizing activities that bring young and old together. During monthly birthday parties, students from nearby middle schools attend to perform and deliver blessings. For traditional festivals, the home arranges colorful recreational events, and it takes seniors out to visit kindergartens to make tangyuan and chat with children, reliving warm moments filled with laughter.

The institution also periodically organizes outings for residents to explore urban landmarks like the Xuhui Riverside, enabling them to personally witness the city's transformation and relive joyful experiences from their youth. To soothe residents' nostalgia, Sanfuyuan has innovatively developed the "Old Friends Gathering" activity, bringing seniors back to familiar community streets and alleys to recreate scenes of daily life from the past. Many have reunited with old neighbors, colleagues, and comrades-in-arms, reaping profound comfort and happiness.

Upholding Strict Safety Standards to Build a Comprehensive Protection System

For senior outings, safety is paramount. Addressing public concerns about activity safety, Director Wang Rongrong states that Sanfuyuan consistently prioritizes "safety first, contingency planning ahead." Every event and outing undergoes comprehensive risk assessment and full-process management. From an on-site birthday party to a large-scale outdoor excursion, dedicated plans are formulated, with each participating senior's age, chronic medical history, and physical condition recorded individually. Specific personnel are assigned for exclusive care, and detailed emergency response protocols are mapped out. During outings, nursing, medical, and logistics staff provide "one-on-one" companion care, ensuring every senior travels safely and returns home securely. This meticulous attention often moves family members, who remark that Sanfuyuan's care surpasses what even relatives could provide.

Fire safety is the core bottom line for any senior care institution. Sanfuyuan has established a dedicated fire safety task force led by the director with coordinated participation from management staff. With clearly defined roles and responsibilities, the team advances fire safety management through routine training, hazard inspections, and emergency drills, fortifying the institution's safety defenses. The home continuously promotes the standardization of fire safety practices, using robust protective capabilities to safeguard residents' well-being. Over its decade-plus history, the institution has recorded zero fire incidents and was consecutively named an Advanced Fire Safety Collective in 2020 and 2021.

Innovating Service Models to Extend Affordable Senior Care Reach

Leveraging Shanghai's "Property + Senior Care" service pilot policy, Sanfuyuan—positioned as a core institution within the Xuhui pilot area—has capitalized on its affiliated Zhongque Senior Care Group's in-house property management strengths. It has pioneered an integrated "senior care institution + property management" service model, breaking the geographical limits of traditional institutional care. This enables professional senior care services to step out of the facility and into the community, benefiting elderly individuals aging at home.

This model effectively extends the radius of care services. Professional teams are dispatched regularly to provide home-based seniors in surrounding communities with three foundational services: professional care, home repairs, and convenient domestic assistance, effectively addressing various pain points of home-based aging. Meanwhile, the institution has opened a green channel to ensure seamless transitions between family care and institutional care for seniors whose needs can no longer be met at home, allowing them to access tiered, professional services as required and enhancing the accessibility and satisfaction of regional senior care.

In the field of smart senior care, Sanfuyuan continues to iterate and upgrade, deepening its commitment to age-friendly intelligent wellness construction and building a digitized care service system. Through the implementation of intelligent monitoring systems, automatic fall-alert devices for seniors, and a full range of smart care equipment, the facility achieves round-the-clock intelligent safety oversight. It has also launched an online "cloud hospital," offering seniors convenient access to health consultations and wellness guidance from home, integrating technology into daily care to ensure smart protection is seamlessly woven into everyday life.

Forging a Professional Team Dedicated to Warm, Quality Care

The core of high-quality senior care lies in a professional, stable, and compassionate service team. In Wang Rongrong's view, Sanfuyuan's key competitive advantage is precisely this dedicated team of employees who are passionate about their work, highly responsible, and exhibit extremely low turnover rates. From frontline caregivers to maintenance technicians, all staff are in-house employees, ensuring high team stability, strong professional expertise, and a deep sense of accountability.

Previously, a front-desk staff member earned a special commendation banner from a family for patiently addressing their questions about senior care consumption vouchers and providing attentive service—a fitting example of the institution's warm approach. Sanfuyuan prioritizes talent development, conducting regular professional training to comprehensively elevate service standards. Currently, 100% of caregivers are certified, with over 55% holding intermediate or advanced vocational qualifications. An additional four senior care nursing technicians round out a well-structured professional echelon. The social work team, responsible for recreational programs and psychological counseling, is fully certified with junior or intermediate social worker credentials and is primarily composed of young "post-90s" talent. Their energy, creativity, and sense of mission inject a fresh, modern dynamism into traditional senior care services.

The institution has also established a comprehensive emergency response system and 24-hour duty mechanism, staffed by three professional physicians and seven full-time nurses. Previously, a 78-year-old resident suddenly suffered cardiac arrest. Staff immediately activated the AED, performed CPR, and simultaneously contacted the family. Thanks to their professional and efficient response, the senior's life was saved. A family member who witnessed the entire scene expressed heartfelt gratitude, noting that entrusting their loved one to Sanfuyuan was safer and more reassuring than home care.

To deepen talent cultivation and empower industry development, Sanfuyuan actively promotes industry-academia integration and school-enterprise cooperation. It has established a "Party Member Service and Practice Education Base" with Fudan University's School of Nursing and a professional practice base with East China Normal University's School of Psychology and Cognitive Science. The home regularly hosts university social practice activities, guiding young students into the frontline of senior care to understand the industry and nurture the next generation of care professionals.

Upholding Public Welfare Commitment to Set an Industry Benchmark

Throughout its years of dedicated service, Sanfuyuan's team has encountered challenges, including managing seniors' negative emotions and occasional family misunderstandings. Caregivers have faced moments of frustration or being misjudged, yet the team consistently responds with patience, tolerance, and warm service. The institution also prioritizes staff emotional support, fostering a positive and supportive work atmosphere. Some seniors who briefly left have chosen to return, openly stating: "There's no warmer or more reassuring place than here!"

Wang Rongrong candidly reflects: "Senior care work brings a mix of bittersweet experiences, but every time we are needed by a resident or recognized by a family, it becomes our team's greatest professional pride and sense of honor." It is this steadfast commitment and original aspiration that give Sanfuyuan's services both professional precision and profound human warmth.

Looking ahead, the institution will take the five-star standard as a new starting point. It will continue to improve quality, enhance capacity, and boost efficiency, striving to become a benchmark in the senior care industry. Through standardized, refined, intelligent, and warm services, it aims to contribute to the high-quality development of senior care in Shanghai, enabling more seniors to enjoy a happy and fulfilling later life.