Long-term health care workers certified in Jiangsu

In a milestone event reflecting China's urgent push to address the challenges of an aging population, 81 people were recently awarded the country's first official long-term care worker certificates in Nantong, Jiangsu province.

The ceremony was witnessed by representatives from the National Healthcare Security Administration, local governments and the caregiving industry.

China's rapidly aging population has triggered surging demand for professional caregiving services. The country is home to an estimated 45 million elderly people who are disabled or have cognitive impairments. Based on international staffing norms, China faces a shortage of more than 10 million long-term care workers.

"There is a vast and urgent need for professionalized and career-oriented long-term care services in China," said Li Tao, deputy director of the NHSA. She added that current challenges include limited service capacity, low professional standards and poor job attractiveness.

The profession received official recognition in 2022, when it was included in the national occupation catalog by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security and the NHSA. The two departments jointly issued working standards for the profession in February last year.

The first exam for would-be long-term care workers was held on April 19 this year in Nantong, with 104 candidates participating. It was the nation's first test specifically designed for the profession.

The exam covered eight areas, including theoretical and practical knowledge of nursing, ethics, cleaning, dining and daily life care. Eighty-one participants passed the exam, according to a report by China Central Television.

"I was very honored to get the certificate as part of the nation's first batch of long-term care workers," said Lu Yayun, who now works at a long-term care agency in Nantong, in a statement released by the NHSA on April 28. "The certificate proves my professional competence and boosts my confidence in my future career. I will help and serve more people who have lost basic living abilities with my skills and love."

Under the standards, long-term care workers must have basic knowledge and skills in life care and nursing. They are expected to provide daily life support and psychological services to individuals who are unable to care for themselves. Services may be provided at home, in gated communities, nursing institutions or hospitals. Anyone over age 16 is eligible to enter the profession, regardless of their educational background.

China launched a pilot long-term care insurance program in 2016. The initiative has since expanded to 49 cities, including Beijing, Shanghai and Chengdu in the southwestern province of Sichuan. By the end of last year, more than 180 million people had joined the program, with 2.6 million benefiting from the insurance, according to the administration.

Roughly 300,000 people have worked in long-term care services since 2016, but many have lacked the skills or performance levels expected by the market.

The release of standards and the implementation of qualification tests will help professionalize the sector, the administration said, adding that it plans to organize training programs and improve skills assessment to raise service quality in the future.