As one ages, their needs change. Things like daily nutrition, accessible medical care, and walkways with slip guards and railings become increasingly important. For Yu Suqin, an 88-year-old resident in Beijing's Xicheng District, everything she needs is within a half-kilometer radius.

"I live here free from all worries," Yu said. "I never have to think about what to eat today, what groceries to buy, or what to do."

A resident at the Yinling Elderly Nursing Home in Wulao Xinjie, a special residential block focused on elderly care, Yu is a Renaissance woman. She plays the piano, paints, and adores making friends with young people.

Wulao Xinjie, a 500-meter-long alleyway in the Beicaochang community, is in the heart of Beijing. It provides services satisfying almost all elderly care needs. The Yinling Elderly Nursing Home provides comprehensive care for seniors who need assisted living, while a community canteen just 100 meters away serves all three meals from breakfast to dinner.

Bringing nursing homes and other elderly care resources closer to where seniors already live is China's community-centric strategy, also known as the embedded elderly care service model, to accommodate its aging population.

Aging has been a pressing issue worldwide, especially in Asia. According to data from China's National Bureau of Statistics in early 2025, China's population aged 60 and above had already exceeded 300 million, accounting for more than one-fifth of the country's total population, making China the country with the largest senior population in the world.

With most senior citizens in China expected to remain in their familiar homes in old age, the heavy burden falls on numerous residential communities across the country, just like Beicaochang.

Community has a unique place in China's social and administrative framework. For instance, Beijing, a sprawling city with a population of over 20 million, has more than 3,000 communities of various sizes.

These communities, usually defined by clusters of residential buildings, serve as the fundamental building blocks of China's urban administration. Similar to villages in China, communities are, in principle, self-governing social structures, as stated in the Organic Law of the Urban Residents Committees. They are run by their respective Residents' Committees, organizations composed of elected residents interested in neighborhood affairs, and take on duties from solving neighborhood problems to laying out social welfare arrangements.

The Beicaochang community, where the Wulao Xinjie is located, has fewer than 4,000 residents. More than 25% of its population is elderly, aged 60 or older.

"Communities, especially for older people, play an increasingly vital role as a platform that connects the elderly with needed services," said Professor Xie Lili, a researcher in elderly care at Renmin University of China‌.

In cities like Beijing, the percentage of seniors who choose to remain in their homes and communities is higher than anticipated, according to Xie's field observations.

China's National Health Commission anticipated a "9073" model for China's senior care, meaning 90% of the elderly would be cared for at home, 7% would receive community-based care, and only 3% would live in nursing homes. But 90% of at-home elderly care still needs assistance from community services, Xie said.

"The community's most fundamental function is safeguarding the safety of older residents," Xie said. "They should focus on understanding elderly residents' needs, and effectively matching those needs with available resources and services."

Wulao Xinjie functions as a platform, bringing medical, culinary and social needs within reach for its senior residents.

"Nurses come regularly here to check on our health," Yu said, pointing to the call button above her bed. "It works 24 hours a day. Press it, and nurses will come right away."

"Our staff works around the clock on rotating shifts, 24 hours a day, without interruption," Zhang Xiagru, a nurse on staff at the Yinling Elderly Nursing Home, told CGTN.

The nursing institution is managed by Fu Xing Hospital, a Grade A tertiary hospital, which represents the highest-ranking medical institution in China's three-tier, six-grade system.

The community canteen, also part of Wulao Xinjie's elderly service suite, offers a specialized menu tailored to the needs of the elderly.

"All dishes are cooked soft and tender, with less oil, salt and sugar," said Yang Xianlu, the canteen's manager. "So they're perfectly suitable for the elderly."

The community also comes with its own senior academy. Jia Shuli, a student learning the flute at the academy, has been a regular member of the small community orchestra.

"We also have professional teachers to guide us," Jia said. "All of our activities are completely free of charge."

Through diversified community cooperation, Wulao Xinjie achieved an age-friendly transformation, said Du Peng, dean of the School of Population and Health at Renmin University of China.

"The 15th Five-Year Plan lays special emphasis on further implementing the national strategy of actively responding to population aging," said Du. "The embedded elderly care service model represents a distinctive Chinese approach to tackling population aging worldwide."