In 2015, the concept of “Internet +” became popular.

Chai Yong, who was going through a period of entrepreneurial transformation, chose to enter the market with the "Internet + elderly care industry" model and founded Shanghai Heyong Information Technology Company. In the same year, he founded Shanghai Friends Intelligent Elderly Assistance Service Center (hereinafter referred to as "Friends").

"From a long-term perspective, elderly care is a market with great demand, but it cannot be purely commercial." In his view, the combination of feelings and career is a major feature of the operation and development of "Friends".

Under this concept, "Friends" has launched three major businesses for the elderly.

First, provide meal assistance services for the elderly.

"Friends" will provide door-to-door services to the elderly in need 365 days a year, morning, noon and evening, connecting with suitable restaurants, providing safe and nutritious meals, and assisting with meals at prices recognized by the elderly.

In addition, "Friends" has added convenient life services such as fruit and medicine delivery and door-to-door care in response to the special needs of the elderly to solve the problems encountered by the elderly.

Secondly, launch time banking service.

"The times are changing, and technology may alienate the elderly from society, but we believe that more and more young people will be willing to join the cause of the elderly and make their own contributions to society." Chai Yong said that "Friends" is calling on young people

While devoting himself to public welfare, he is also building his own volunteer service system and establishing a time bank.

Through charity actions, volunteers can receive rewards such as skills training, scholarships, and joining the Friends non-profit organization.

In terms of service system, "Friends" transports college student volunteers to the community to teach the elderly about the use of mobile phones, the Internet, and smart life; it also solves the problem of dementia patients becoming younger due to the lack of recreational activities such as manual and brain use by the elderly.

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In addition, "Friends" provides accompanying services for low-risk elderly people who need accompanying medical services, and provides professional accompanying training for volunteers. While providing warm companionship to the elderly, it also allows the elderly to receive more professional and safer care.

Finally, as a third party, evaluate the elderly service agency.

"Friends" evaluates and supervises relevant elderly care service institutions in the community through third-party evaluation, in order to strengthen the supervision of home elderly care service institutions, promote benchmarking learning between different elderly care service institutions in the community, and promote mutual understanding between different elderly care service institutions.

Continuous improvements will be made in the provision of service content, the setting of the environment, and the arrangement of service personnel to enhance the management and service level of community elderly care service institutions, so that the elderly can enjoy better services and make the elderly care life better.

In addition to the above three major businesses, "Friends" also helps solve and receive some other elderly care services, such as elderly care service consultation and elderly care service processing.

Over the past four years, "Friends" has also developed into a social enterprise for the elderly, covering catering, medical companionship, senior college and other services. The company will continue to support non-profit public welfare organizations in the public welfare part of the operation through profits from service projects.

In 2018, "Friends" delivered more than 200 meals a day, and conducted telephone and door-to-door follow-up visits to nearly 2,000 elderly people who ate, with zero delivery accidents.

Up to now, the customers of "Friends" include more than 5,000 elderly people in more than 700 communities in 35 streets and towns in Shanghai. It provides door-to-door services to the elderly in need in the morning, noon and evening 365 days a year, and provides nearly a thousand public welfare services to the communities every year.

Old service, the cumulative number of student volunteers participating has reached more than 30,000.

The project has received seed round financing from the Government Guidance Fund and the top 4 in the 2018 "Social Innovation Star" Shanghai Competition, the top 10 in the China Region of the 2018 Chivas Regal Youdao Global Social Entrepreneurship Competition, and the top 10 in the 2018 Haitang Huakai Cup Innovation and Service Competition for the Elderly.

Best Innovation Project, 2018 National Silver Award for Social Innovation Star, and Top 10 in the 2018 Fifth Comprehensive Service Competition for the Elderly.

Chai Yong believes that changes in the age structure of the population have driven the development of many industries, one of which is the elderly care industry.

The more seriously aging a country is, the more likely it is that the elderly care industry will experience rapid growth.

According to statistical data, as early as 2010, the consumption scale of my country's elderly population has reached about 1 trillion yuan, and currently, the number of elderly people in my country has exceeded 100 million. However, the elderly care industry is fragmented and extensive, and most of the products on the market are unable to Profitable small and medium-sized enterprises and self-employed individuals, and the lack of quantity and quality on the supply side, provide a broad space for growth for innovative enterprises in the future.