Asia is ageing at a speed for which there is no ready-made model. By 2050, one in four people in the region will be over 60. The question is not only where they will live or who will care for them. It is what kind of life our systems will allow them to continue living.
I do not see senior living as real estate with care added, or healthcare transferred into a more attractive building. At its best, it is a way of preserving agency, purpose and human connection as needs change. To work, it must make sense to residents and families, fit the culture around it, support caregivers and remain economically durable.
Since 2013, I have been building and operating eldercare platforms across Asia. The reflections below come from that experience: how demographics, culture and policy shape family decisions; how care and longevity models evolve; and how we can add life to years rather than simply years to life.
From the archive
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Senior living
Sunday tea is part of the life of a community
Just another Sunday Tea Party at ORPEA Nanjing!
First published on LinkedIn, May 30, 2021. View the original post.
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Senior living
A meal should nourish dignity and social life
If you were a resident in an elderly care facility, would you prefer: 1/ Having a food tray delivered to your room for every meal, and eating alone in front of the TV , or 2/ Enjoying appealing, tasty and healthy dishes at the restaurant, accompanied by your dear friends? At Orpea China 欧葆庭中国 , our residents have made their choice, and we know why! Diversity, Pleasure, Happiness, Conviviality, Taste, Smell and Colors… Enjoyable meals contribute to the awakening of the senses and stimulate our residents' social interactions!
First published on LinkedIn, May 28, 2021. View the original post.
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Senior living
5-2-0 celebrates love that endures
In China, the numbers 5-2-0 sound similar to “wǒ ài nǐ”, meaning “I love you”. This short film records residents celebrating relationships that endured through years of hardship and happiness.
❤️There are many days to celebrate love in China. May 20th is one of them, as “5-2-0” sounds similar to “wo ai ni”, or “I love you” in Chinese.
❤️At Orpea China 欧葆庭中国, our residents also celebrated love. A love that lasted, for some of them, for many years, through hardship but also happiness.
❤️Happy 5-2-0 to everyone!❤️Care communities are made from biographies and relationships, not only services. Small cultural occasions can create space for those histories to remain visible.
First published on YouTube, May 21, 2021. Watch the original video. · Also shared on LinkedIn, May 21, 2021. View the original post.
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Senior living
The Lantern festival marks the end of the Chinese New Year celebrations
Above all, it is the occasion for families to share a bowl of delicious Tangyuan soup. Happy festival to everyone! 元宵节快乐
First published on LinkedIn, February 27, 2021. View the original post.
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Senior living
The Year of the Ox, celebrated in style
Happy new year of the Golden Ox! As usual, we celebrated in style with our residents in China! Orpea China 欧葆庭中国 wishes you health, happiness and good fortune. May we all be reunited and celebrate safely with friends and family soon! 新年快乐、万事如意、新年大吉、恭喜发财！
从90后到90+，他们用趣味视频送上元旦祝福！
The video was first published on LinkedIn on December 31, 2020; the Year of the Ox photographs followed on February 12, 2021. View the video post · View the photo post
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Senior living
Staying active strengthens bodies, minds and bonds
Good for social bonding!🎶 That’s everything our residents want, everything our residents need. 🎉🎊I believe they will be ready for the big Chinese New Year party at ORPEA China! 🧨🧧🏮
First published on LinkedIn, January 14, 2021. View the original post.
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Senior living
A care community seen through a resident’s eyes
Resident Mr Chen leads this extended visit to the ORPEA Xianlin International Care Center in Nanjing. The original description was bilingual: “陈爷爷带您参观南京欧葆庭仙林国际颐养中心”.
A resident-led tour changes the point of view. Instead of presenting the building only through management language, it lets the place be encountered through someone who lives there.
First published on YouTube, October 1, 2020. Watch the original video.
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Senior living
Mid-Autumn Festival and China’s National Day with our residents
Families and staff in China! 🇨🇳 🥮 🌕 🐇 🐰 🌝 🥮 🇨🇳
First published on LinkedIn, October 1, 2020. View the original post.
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Senior living
Protecting residents must not become isolating them
During the first wave of COVID-19 in China, our teams went far beyond the call of duty to keep every resident safe while preserving as much normal daily life as possible.
At the time, none of us knew how many further waves and restrictions would follow. What I did know was how much dedication it took to protect people without allowing protection to become isolation.
Thank you, 谢谢, merci.
First published on LinkedIn, May 6, 2020. View the original post.
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Senior living
After winter comes spring, without masks
After winter comes spring — without masks. Cheers and hope from ORPEA China.
First published as two complementary LinkedIn posts on March 27 and 28, 2020. View the video post · View the photo post