Analysis on the current situation of military retired elderly care services and countermeasures

The work of providing for retired military officers is a major issue related to social stability and development, and it is the fundamental guarantee for protecting the legitimate rights and interests of retired military officers. Actively exploring a service model for retired military officers' care that is in line with the new era holds significant theoretical and practical value. Based on a clear understanding of the current state of service work for retired military officers in the new era, constructive suggestions are proposed from four aspects: strengthening top-level design, leveraging digital empowerment, standardizing process norms, and enhancing personnel training. These measures ensure the high-quality development of the work for retired military officers' care and effectively improve the quality of this work.

I. Current Situation Analysis

In recent years, the department for veterans' affairs has focused on the "three good" goals, carrying out a series of initiatives to effectively enhance the service quality for retired military officers. Taking Shaanxi Province as an example, the "Detailed Rules for the Service Management of Retired Military Officers in Shaanxi Province" was issued in a certain year, providing policy guidance for the service of retired military officers; in another year, the project for socialized service for retired military officers was launched, focusing on the construction of a comprehensive retirement platform for retired military officers in Shaanxi Province; from a certain month to another month, the theme activity "Strengthening Qualities, Optimizing Services, Building Images, and Comparing Contributions" was conducted among military retirement institutions in Shaanxi Province, further enhancing the service capabilities and levels of the staff. These efforts have laid a solid foundation for the retirement service in Shaanxi Province, but there are also some practical issues that need to be addressed.

(1) The concept of elderly care services is rigid, and the transformation of ideas is relatively slow.

In the year, with the issuance of Document No. by the General Office of the Central Committee, the socialization reform of military retirement service management officially began. Although nearly years of development have passed, the original planned and closed concept and model of military retirement care services are deeply ingrained in people's minds, and the rate of transformation remains slow. From the perspective of military retirement service staff, there are differences between government work patterns and market-oriented work patterns. Traditional military retirement work is management-oriented, while socialized security is service-oriented. However, emphasizing "service" in social work does not negate the "management" nature of traditional military retirement work; rather, it focuses on achieving "management" goals through service. In practical work, some staff find it difficult to change this mindset and still separate "management" from "service" in their work. At the same time, some staff are concerned that the introduction of social services may affect the existing organizational structure adjustments, placing themselves in a competitive environment, which could impact their existing interests. From the perspective of military retirees, on one hand, according to the theory of human inertia, people generally do not want to change their current state, so some military retirees believe that the original model has been in operation for many years and there is no need for reform; on the other hand, they worry that after socialized security, their various benefits may not be effectively guaranteed.

(2) The absence of family member functions, the phenomenon of "empty nest" gradually becomes prominent

According to the Ministry of Civil Affairs' statistics for the fourth quarter, the proportion of "empty nest" elderly in China exceeds 50%, and in some urban and rural areas, it even surpasses 70%. As one of the elderly groups, retired military officers also face the same issue. Due to the implementation of the family planning policy in the last century, many families have only one child, making it difficult to balance caring for parents and raising children. Additionally, some children live far away from their retired military officer parents, contributing to the phenomenon of "empty nest" families. Lacking the care and support of family members, these retired military officers face significant difficulties in daily life, making it hard to achieve the goal of "being cared for in old age." Their lives are filled with loneliness, lacking spiritual comfort, and in some cases, they experience a bleak old age.

(III) Difficulties in service management arise due to the scattered placement of retired military personnel.

In recent years, under the general situation of the adjustment and reform of the military's organizational structure, the number of military retirees transferred to local governments for resettlement has surged. Among these retirees, a significant number have opted for affordable housing or self-purchased commercial properties, resulting in a highly dispersed and highly mobile living arrangement. Additionally, some retirees who originally resided in military retirement homes have moved out to live with their children due to various reasons such as health issues or family considerations. This has led to a living pattern among military retirees characterized by "small concentrations and large dispersions." As the number of dispersed retirees increases and their residential areas expand, the current service model appears inadequate, posing challenges to providing elderly care services for military retirees. Issues such as communication, organizing activities, monitoring retirees' conditions, and offering daily services have become more difficult to manage.

(IV) Wide age range, diverse needs difficult to grasp

With the gradual completion of the military organizational structure adjustment and reform, military retirees are showing a trend of younger age, combined with the existing retirees, forming a significant age gradient, with the oldest nearing a century and the youngest around a few years old (retired due to illness), spanning nearly a century in age. This has led to a significant diversity in the actual needs of military retirees, presenting a multifaceted trend, which poses certain challenges for military service personnel to grasp. For example: Older military retirees have a strong demand for daily life and medical care, especially those with heart and vascular diseases who have a strong need for convenient and nearby medical resources; Younger military retirees, compared to their older counterparts, are more energetic and enthusiastic about various party construction activities, cultural and sports activities, and some even have the desire and need to contribute their remaining energy and seek reemployment; Some are eager to enjoy the joys of family life with their grandchildren, while others wish to learn throughout their lives, enriching themselves with knowledge.

(V) Social institutions are uneven in quality, and supervision of service work is inadequate.

Over the years, the work of military retirement and elderly care services has been continuously exploring and innovating, improving the services through purchasing social services and relying on community-based elderly care. Currently, there are still some issues with social elderly care service institutions, such as: severe shortages in the number of institutions and service personnel. According to statistics from the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, the "elderly care attendant" position ranks among the most critically understaffed professions in society; the development of private elderly care service institutions is uneven, with varying scales, levels, and service capabilities; elderly care institutions generally focus on life support, paying insufficient attention to elderly cultural education services and psychological services. Additionally, military retirement management institutions have not established a comprehensive management mechanism for the social services they purchase or the community-based elderly care services they rely on, resulting in a lack of coordination effectiveness, insufficient oversight, and a fragmented approach to service delivery.

II. Countermeasures and Recommendations

In response to the aforementioned practical issues, we should adopt the concept of "large-scale service and small-scale management" in military retirement care, construct a "four-in-one" military retirement care system, and adhere to the orientation of informatization, standardization, and talent development. We should establish a mechanism that integrates socialized services with national security systems, fully utilize modern social resources, enhance the effectiveness of services for retired military officers, and ensure the high-quality development of their care services.

(1) Strengthen top-level design and scientifically construct a "four-in-one" elderly care system.

The integration-oriented service system for retired military officers' elderly care is an inevitable trend dictated by the demands of the times. In the process of military retirement services, it is essential to shift perspectives, transform passivity into proactivity, strengthen top-level design and overall planning, integrate and utilize diverse resources, and establish an integrated management system for military retirement elderly care services that encompasses military retirement service institutions, government functional departments, social organizations, and military retirement families, thereby providing higher-quality services for retired military officers.

Maintain the functional role of military retirement service institutions.

As long as there are no significant adjustments to the current national policies for the placement of retired military officers, the main function of military retirement service management institutions in ensuring the "two benefits" for retired military officers and guaranteeing their peaceful retirement will remain unchanged. Regardless of the extent of socialized services, the principle of prioritizing the services provided by military retirement service management institutions for retired military officers must remain unchanged, and the communication and coordination roles of these institutions should be fully leveraged.

Strengthen the guarantee role of government functional departments.

To ensure the smooth and steady advancement of military retirement work and enable military retirees to enjoy various benefits more, faster, and better, it is essential to have the strong support and close cooperation of various departments at all levels. It is necessary to strengthen the support role of each functional department, forming a working situation where cooperation is united as one, collaboration is coordinated as a whole, and unity is a driving force. By leading with the government, and jointly with financial, cultural tourism, medical, and other functional departments, tailored policies should be developed to address different needs, and joint documents issued to provide policy basis and support for the implementation of various benefits for military retirees.

Enhancing the Supporting Role of Social Service Agencies

In light of the current characteristics of military retirees, fully leverage the frontline functions of the retired servicemen service centers (stations), establish a linkage mechanism with communities, utilize the flexibility and convenience of community services, integrate military retiree institution services with community services, share resources, and thereby improve the living environment and enhance the quality of life for military retirees. For example: medical security for military retirees entering communities, home services entering communities, cultural and recreational activities entering communities, etc.

Enhancing the foundational role of military retiree families

For retired military officers, especially those of advanced age, what they seek more is the spiritual support and care from their spouses and children. Relying on the families of retired military officers to carry out service management can compensate for some functions that social services cannot provide. The service management institutions for retired military officers should establish a list of family situations, actively promote traditional filial piety education, strengthen the awareness of retired military officers' children to love and respect the elderly, thereby enhancing the role of family functions in the service management of retired military officers.

(2) Relying on digital empowerment, accurately grasp the actual needs of military retirees.

Using informatization as a guide, based on the pilot work of the Ministry of Veterans Affairs in providing information services for military retirement affairs, fully leveraging the convenience brought by information technology, construct an information-based work model for military retirement affairs, further enhancing the effectiveness of military retirement work.

Construct a dynamic information database for retired military officers.

On the basis of the current management of military retiree archives, improve the information on military retiree resources, and construct a dynamic database for military retirees. The database should comprehensively cover information, establish a real-name information ledger, including important details such as age, family situation, medical history, and primary needs, to achieve hierarchical and categorized precise service management. The database information should have designated channels and interfaces, ensuring the shared and interconnected military retiree information within the system, aiming for a "one-policy-per-person" approach to achieve precise policy implementation. The database should be dynamic, capturing basic data during concentrated periods such as transfer and settlement registration, and taking advantage of internet tools, home visits, and慰问等opportunities for real-time updates.

Develop a mobile platform for military veterans' services

Integrate local conditions in various regions to design and develop a mobile platform for military retirement services with regional characteristics.