Shen Tiemei, a member of the CPPCC National Committee, the vice chairman of the China Theater Association, the chairman of the Chongqing Federation of Literary and Art Circles, and the president of Chongqing Sichuan Opera Art Center. [Photo provided to iChongqing]

Chongqing - The aging process has accelerated over the past few years, increasing the demand for elderly care services. Shen Tiemei, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, the vice-chairman of the China Theater Association, the chairman of the Chongqing Federation of Literary and Art Circles, and the president of Chongqing Sichuan Opera Art Center, focuses on the needs of the elderly in terms of spirituality and culture. She suggested organizing more cultural and sports activities in order to promote spiritual care for the elderly.

Homebound elders face a situation in which their children are not around, a lack of quality of life, and a lack of spiritual culture. In addition to feeling even more alone, the widowed elderly are psychologically lonely, and their lives are boring. They lack the comforts of spiritual and cultural life, such as literature and art. According to Shen Tiemei, society and government need to value spiritual care for the elderly highly.

Local areas need to plan and establish public cultural facilities for the elderly based on the size and needs of their elderly populations in villages, towns, communities, and so on, including chess and card rooms, libraries, calligraphy rooms, and cultural activity centers. So, characteristic cultural services for the elderly will be increased, and public cultural services will be more vital.

Local areas should also establish and improve long-term investment mechanisms for elderly care and increase financial transfers to rural and remote areas. Likewise, the elderly should be provided with mobile cultural services such as movies, cultural performances, and art exhibitions by purchasing cultural services and scientific fitness knowledge lectures, and elderly health services must be provided.

In order to promote the development of mass activities for the elderly, towns (villages) should establish elderly cultural and sports organizations and hold some small-size cultural and sports competitions.

Moreover, incorporate the spiritual and cultural life of the elderly into the evaluation indicators of the work of elderly care organizations and institutions. In order to provide cultural and recreational activities for the elderly, specific work plans should be developed and implemented every year. Grade assessment and operating subsidies for elderly care institutions should be based on this reference.

A strong atmosphere of respect and love for the elderly can also be created in society by giving full play to mainstream media and emerging media channels. Media can help elderly people cope with anxiety, loneliness, depression, and other emotions psychologically by appealing to their children's care for them. The media should therefore intensify its publicity efforts so as to guide society toward respecting and loving the elderly as tradition dictates.