10/07/2015
Recently in Chinese news there has been an item that describes how a care home had burnt to the ground, killing and injuring several people. “A Fire at a care home in central China has left 38 people dead and six injured, officials said on Tuesday” – Guardian 26th May 2015. Another said, “the Rest Home did not have enough care workers in the building” – The independent. A number of those connected to the care home had been taken into custody.
Since my first trip to China in October 2014 I’ve seen a number of issues and the opportunity to help improve healthcare for the elderly.
During that first visit I toured what was described as a high-end nursing home. It was clear to me that although the residents seemed happy and were cared for, the environment and standards and level of care that were being provided were far from the ideal I was accustomed to. I felt compelled to help in any way I could.
I decided to head out towards the Eastern part of China away from the central areas I had already visited. Conditions in nursing homes here were much the same as what I had already experienced. We began looking at these issues in detail and started working alongside other businesses that were very interested in helping.
My adventure began.
We, my team and I, have visited China several times since then and are in the process of developing and delivering specialist, high quality training for care staff in nursing homes, and nurses who are also interested in working with the elderly.
The number of nurses and care assistants that need training continues to amaze me; the opportunities to improve healthcare provision are vast.
For us it’s been a question of being introduced to the right people and the right time and place. As a business we needed to be focussed, have the capabilities and resources to manage whatever the next few years holds. We are aware of the culture and traditions of China and are mindful not to approach the issues in the way we would here in the UK, but with a tailored understanding that works in a culturally sensitive way.
We have current projects in Shanghai, Beijing and Nanjing and are actively exploring other areas where our expertise could help.
The intention is to simply have a positive effect on patient care and elderly care specifically. We care about the Elderly and are determined to make a difference to care standards and conditions.
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