A Young Man’s Dream of Serving Elders

Yan Shuai is personally involved in care-giving and pays close heed to seniors’ opinions and needs.

“For those who have lost day-to-day life skills, we sometimes have to go to the extent of reading their facial expressions to find out their needs,” Yan said. An old man who survived a cerebral hemorrhage was bed-bound and unable to talk. One time he wore a painful expression and blinked all the time. Yan Shuai inquired whether he had any pain or itching on his head, arms or legs, but the old man only shook his head. Eventually, when Yan said the word “back,” the old man blinked in succession. Yan scratched his back, and applied some body lotion. The resident finally wore a look of relief.

Yan is personally involved in care-giving whenever possible. “As the head of the nursing home, I’m expected to set an example. Providing good care and service is the main principle for running an elders’ home.”

Yan worries most about critically ill residents. Emergencies often arise after midnight, so Yan keeps his cellphone on 24/7. “I often sleep with my clothes on, ready to be woken up by emergency calls when someone falls ill,” Yan said, admitting that the high stress has begun to harm his own health. This young man suffers from arrhythmia, hypertension and hyperglycemia.

Yan plans to open an infirmary at his nursing home, since the nearest hospital is more than a 10-minute drive – quite a distance for an emergency. He intends to cooperate with nearby hospitals to introduce basic medical services into the nursing home, and to connect it with the state medical insurance system for the convenience of Puleyuan residents.

As the government invests more funds in the social service industry, the situation is getting better for Puleyuan. The Beijing Hypertension Association approached the nursing home, and donated a batch of medical equipment including ECG machines, a type-B ultrasound scanner, and hospital beds. Some of the supplies were secondhand. “We don’t mind using old equipment from large hospitals. To us, it’s timely aid,” Yan said.

“Emotional bonds exist between the staff and the residents. When an elder passes away, we may be even more grieved than the close relatives. The hardest moment for me is to observe their desire to live as they approach the end. That’s why I dream of building a better nursing home where seniors enjoy a richer cultural life,” Yan said.

As soon as the new building is completed, Yan plans to hold lectures on various subjects there, such as Buddhism, traditional Chinese arts, and studies on ancient Chinese civilization. He believes that a richer cultural life may enable seniors to gain a better understanding of life and death.