Table 1.
Main policy documents of China’s smart home for elderly care
| Stage | Policy document(s) | Department | Time | Main content |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seed stage (2008–2011) | Opinions on Comprehensively Promoting Home-based Elderly Care Services | National Working Commission on Ageing.etc | 2008 | To establish elderly care hotline, emergency rescue system and service information platform in community |
| Construction Plan of Social Elderly Care Service System (2011–2015) | General Office of the State Council | 2011 | To construct community-based elderly care platform using hotline, information network, community-based calling system | |
| Start-up stage (2012–2014) | Notice on Comprehensive Reform Pilot of Elderly Care Service Industry | Ministry of Civil Affairs, National Development and Reform commission | 2013 | To use internet, IoTs and other technologies to improve the managemental and informationalized level of elderly care services |
| Several Opinions on Speeding up the Development of Elderly Care Service Industry | State Council of China | 2013 | To build smart platform for community to provide emergency call, health consultation and other elderly services | |
| Development stage (2015–2016) | Instruction to Promoting Internet plus Plan | National Development and Reform commission.etc | 2015 | To encourage health service organizations to use cloud computing, big data and other technologies to build public information platforms and provide personalized and long-term health management services |
| Notice on the Pilot Reform of Home-based Elderly Care Conducted by the Central Budget | Ministry of Civil Affairs, Ministry of Finance | 2016 | To develop smart home care technology, enrich smart homecare modes and reduce the cost of smart homecare for the elderly | |
| Several Opinions on Fully Opening up the Elderly Care Service Market and Improving Elderly Care Service’s Quality | General Office of the State Council | 2016 | To allow and encourage private capital to provide smart home care services for the elderly | |
| Popularization stage (2017–2019) | The 13th Five-year Plan for the Aging Development and Elderly Care Service System Construction | State Council of China | 2017 | To establish information platform for home-based community elderly care services focusing on disabled, solitary and empty nest elderly |
| The 13th Five-year Plan for Healthy Aging (2016–2020) | National Health and Family Planning Commission.etc | 2017 | To build smart health and caring service platform, connect medical and caring service providers at all levels to provide all kinds of health and caring services for the elderly | |
| Action Plan for the Development of Smart Health and Elderly Care Service Industry (2017–2020) | Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Ministry of Civil Affairs | 2017 | To clarify overall planning for the development of smart home for elderly care, put forward specific action plans on key issues such as technology research and service promotion |