The "14th Five-Year Plan for Healthy Aging" was issued: Developing Traditional Chinese Medicine Health Services for the Elderly

Author: Dong Juntong, reporter of China Traditional Chinese Medicine News

Recently, 15 departments including the National Health Commission, the Ministry of Education, and the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine jointly issued the "14th Five-Year Plan for Healthy Aging" (hereinafter referred to as the "Plan"), which proposed nine major tasks, and the development of traditional Chinese medicine health services for the elderly was listed as one of the tasks.

In order to develop TCM health services for the elderly, the Plan proposes to improve the level of TCM health management for the elderly. Further give play to the unique advantages of TCM health management in the implementation of basic public health service projects, actively promote TCM health management service projects for the elderly, and give play to the unique role of TCM in elderly preventive health care, comprehensive treatment, elderly rehabilitation, and palliative care. Encourage TCM physicians to actively participate in family doctor contract services and provide personalized TCM services for the elderly. Continuously enrich the content of TCM health guidance for the elderly, strengthen behavioral intervention and health guidance for the elderly. Strengthen the construction of TCM health care services for the elderly. Accelerate the construction of geriatric medicine departments in TCM hospitals at or above the second level, strengthen the construction of TCM health care services, talent training, and technology promotion capabilities, and improve the TCM service capabilities and levels for common and frequently occurring diseases of the elderly. Strengthen the construction of TCM health care services for the elderly in provincial TCM centers for the prevention of diseases, formulate relevant standards and specifications, train and promote TCM appropriate technologies, and improve the TCM characteristic service capabilities. Increase the promotion of TCM health care and elderly care culture. Actively publicize TCM health care knowledge, technologies, and methods suitable for the elderly, and promote high-quality TCM services into communities, rural areas, and families. Actively carry out activities such as traditional Chinese medicine health examinations, health assessments, health interventions, and popular science on medicinal diet therapy, promote traditional Chinese medicine sports such as Tai Chi, Ba Duan Jin, and Wu Qin Xi, and cultivate a healthy and scientific lifestyle and concepts.

The plan requires improving the ability of basic public health services to promote the health of the elderly. By 2025, the rate of standardized health management services in urban and rural communities for the elderly aged 65 and above will reach more than 65%, and the rate of traditional Chinese medicine health management for the elderly aged 65 and above will reach more than 75%.

The Plan proposes to promote the construction of a geriatric medicine alliance, and to improve the capacity and management level of geriatric medical services through joint construction of specialties, collaborative education and training, scientific research and project collaboration, and collaboration between traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine. Enhance the capacity of traditional Chinese medicine rehabilitation services. By 2025, the proportion of tertiary traditional Chinese medicine hospitals with rehabilitation (medical) departments will reach more than 85%. The Plan also clarifies that the study of geriatric medicine content should be carried out in public health, clinical medicine, traditional Chinese medicine and other majors, and the training of compound talents related to elderly health should be strengthened.

Source: Official WeChat account of the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine