On October 10, the Information Office of the Shandong Provincial People's Government held a themed press conference under the series "Starting the 15th Five-Year Plan." Senior officials from the Provincial Department of Civil Affairs were invited to interpret the "15th Five-Year Plan for the Development of Civil Affairs in Shandong Province." Reporters learned at the press conference that in terms of basic livelihood security, Shandong was the first in the country to establish a dynamic adjustment mechanism for assistance and security standards covering nine categories of people in difficulty. Currently, Shandong has 1,162 integrated medical and elderly care institutions, ranking first in the country. Last year, Shandong took the lead nationally in launching a pilot program for consumption subsidies for elderly care services for disabled seniors, covering institutional care, short-term respite care, daytime care, meal assistance, and bathing assistance, with a maximum monthly subsidy of 800 yuan. To date, 1.957 million consumption vouchers have been distributed, driving related consumption of 4.23 billion yuan. What new changes will Shandong bring to civil affairs development during the 15th Five-Year Plan period? Let's take a look.
Improving Welfare Subsidies for the Elderly: "No Application Required" for Economically Disadvantaged Seniors, "One-Stop Online Processing" for Those Aged 80 and Above
During the 15th Five-Year Plan period, Shandong will closely align with the multi-tiered and diverse needs of the elderly, focusing on practical measures to ensure they are well-cared for, have opportunities to contribute, and enjoy their later years.
To enhance "care for the elderly," services will be delivered to their doorsteps. The county-level three-tier elderly care service network will be improved. With county-level comprehensive elderly care management platforms as the leader, township (subdistrict) regional elderly care service centers as the hub, and village (community) elderly care service facilities as the front line, a tiered, categorized, inclusive, urban-rural covering, and sustainable elderly care service system will be built.
The supply of high-quality professional elderly care services will be expanded. Focusing on the rigid demand for care of disabled and cognitively impaired seniors, the development of cognitive impairment care institutions, specialized zones, and nursing-type beds will be accelerated, with the proportion of cognitive impairment care beds reaching over 5% by 2030. Chain-operated community service facilities at the subdistrict level will be promoted, optimizing diversified services such as medical assistance, meal assistance, bathing assistance, and cleaning assistance, creating a "elderly care service circle" around the people.
Services and guarantees for special elderly groups will be strengthened. The welfare subsidy system for the elderly will be improved, with the living subsidy for economically disadvantaged seniors requiring "no application" and the senior allowance for those aged 80 and above processed through "one-stop online services." Visits and care services for particularly disadvantaged elderly will be enhanced, with focus on those living alone, empty-nesters, and disabled seniors, delivering policy care precisely to their side.
Stimulating "Productive Aging": Giving Seniors a Stage to Contribute
The "Silver Age Action" will be deepened, with emphasis on advancing the "Qilu Rural Silver Age Action," supporting rural revitalization in five areas: mutual assistance, free medical consultations, educational assistance, cultural promotion, and industrial development. A "Qilu Silver Age Think Tank" will be established, guiding senior talent to provide intellectual support for government decision-making, enterprise development, and social services. A smart elderly assistance initiative will be implemented, strengthening awareness against fraud and illegal fundraising, helping seniors bridge the digital divide. Activities promoting intergenerational interaction will be organized to foster harmony. A silver-age skills enhancement initiative will be advanced, offering public welfare courses through communities and senior universities to enrich seniors' skill sets.
Enriching "Joyful Aging": Making Later Years More Fulfilling
Public cultural resources will be coordinated, and the "Enjoying the Silver Age" series of activities will continue, with more cultural performances and creative experiences tailored to seniors' preferences launched in collaboration with relevant departments, cultivating distinctive senior cultural brands. Public cultural and sports venues will be promoted to offer free or discounted access to the elderly. The traditional culture of filial piety and respect for the elderly will be carried forward, and the construction of age-friendly communities will be deepened, driving society to form a strong atmosphere of respecting, caring for, loving, enjoying, and assisting the elderly.
Full Coverage of Township (Subdistrict) Regional Elderly Care Centers by 2030
Reporters learned at the press conference that during the 15th Five-Year Plan period, Shandong's civil affairs development will focus on advancing the construction of "four systems": First, improving the policy and institutional system to further solidify the development foundation. Focusing on key areas of public concern such as assistance and elderly care, the "Shandong Province Social Assistance Regulations" will be introduced, the "Shandong Province Elderly Care Service Regulations" will be revised, and policies on responding to population aging, identification of low-income populations, rural elderly care, and classified management of elderly care institutions will be formulated. Special assistance will be extended to low-income marginal families and families with rigid expenditure difficulties, making "policy finding people" more timely and precise. Systems for the welfare protection of children in difficulty, persons with disabilities, and basic funeral services will be further improved.
Second, improving the service guarantee system to further enhance service capacity. In terms of service facilities, by 2030, township (subdistrict) regional elderly care centers will achieve full coverage, the proportion of nursing-type beds in elderly care institutions will be raised to 80%, and the proportion of certified nursing staff will be raised to 90%, ensuring seniors can both access care and receive quality care. In terms of service content, innovative exploration will be made for "elderly parents plus disabled children" families to live together in elderly care institutions. Child welfare institutions will be actively encouraged to "open their doors," using professionalism and compassion to support the healthy growth of children in difficulty. In terms of service methods, Shandong has already achieved integrated reforms such as "one matter after death for residents," "one matter for social assistance," "one matter for elderly care," and "one matter for children in difficulty." Next, the integration of big data, artificial intelligence, and other new technologies with civil affairs operations will continue, enabling more civil affairs services to be handled efficiently and with warmth.
Third, improving the supervision and management system to further enhance regulatory effectiveness. Through digital and intelligent empowerment of assistance for people in difficulty, the dynamic monitoring platform for low-income populations will be used effectively, with regular data comparison and real-time early warnings to ensure early detection and assistance. Shandong has accumulated good experience in this area; for example, this year it became the first in the country to achieve two-way integration between the assistance system and the fiscal "one-card" system, effectively ensuring the entire online traceability of assistance fund distribution. Shandong will improve cross-departmental comprehensive supervision mechanisms for elderly care services, social organizations, philanthropy, and the funeral industry, forming a strong regulatory synergy.
Fourth, improving the social participation system to further consolidate development synergy. Efforts will focus on improving the coordination mechanism for aging work, actively leveraging the roles of the market, society, and families. The standardized construction of social organizations will be promoted, guiding them to leverage their professional advantages. Philanthropy will be regulated and developed, encouraging more charitable organizations to participate in assistance and care for "the elderly and the young," strengthening the "Golden Seed" community charity fund brand, and promoting effective linkage between government assistance and charitable aid. Seniors will be guided to contribute and enjoy their later years; by 2030, the social activity participation rate of the elderly will reach over 60%, and the coverage rate of age-friendly communities will reach over 50%.
Standardizing the Identification of Four Categories of Low-Income Populations: New "Measures" to Be Formulated Within the Year
On July 1 this year, the "Social Assistance Law of the People's Republic of China" officially took effect, marking the first foundational law in China's social assistance field. Shandong will take this opportunity to expedite the legislative work of the "Shandong Province Social Assistance Regulations." The identification of four categories of low-income populations—subsistence allowance recipients, extremely impoverished persons, low-income marginal family members, and family members with rigid expenditure difficulties—will be comprehensively standardized and improved, with a unified "Shandong Province Low-Income Population Identification and Management Measures" to be formulated within the year.
At the same time, Shandong will make practical use of the dynamic monitoring platform for low-income populations, promoting the application of "AI large models plus social assistance" scenarios, combining "big data comparison" with "on-the-ground surveys," and integrating "policy finding people" with "people seeking policy," building a smart and efficient assistance service guarantee mechanism. This year, Shandong has comprehensively established "policy lists" and "happiness lists." The "policy list" covers 12 departments and 28 assistance policies, providing detailed interpretations of application conditions, procedures, and benefits for various types of assistance; the "happiness list" aggregates assistance result information, which the public can query in real time through "Ai Shandong."