Elderly individuals enjoy delightful dining experiences right at their doorstep
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Elderly people should be taken care of, and food should be safe. In response to the difficulties faced by elderly people in "difficulty cooking and worrying about eating," Lanzhou City has focused on community elderly meal assistance services, supported by policies, taking innovation as the starting point, and guided by demand. It has explored a multi-faceted and distinctive model for meal assistance services, woven a dense and tight "fifteen-minute elderly meal assistance service network," allowing elderly people to enjoy happy meals at their doorstep.
The reporter learned that in 2025, all of the city's 50 community embedded elderly care meal service facilities will be completed and put into use, with an additional service area of more than 11,000 square meters, providing more than 7 million meals per year on average, so that the vision of "old people have food to eat and old people have something to rely on" shines through thousands of households in Jincheng.
Accurate policy measures to follow public opinion, warm-hearted canteens to solve people's worries.
The focus of the elderly meal service is to accurately meet the actual needs of the elderly. The districts and counties in Lanzhou start from the urgent difficulties of the masses, take household visits and public opinion collection as the starting point, and build happy canteens into a people's livelihood project that truly meets the lives of the elderly and responds to the demands of the masses, so that every canteen becomes a service scene where "the people have their call, I have my response."
In the Xincheng Town, Xigu District, the proportion of elderly residents accounts for 48%. Many young people have migrated to work elsewhere, making it difficult for many elderly individuals to cook. During their home visits, community grid workers patiently listened to the concerns of the elderly. Upon learning about their urgent need for a community canteen, the community designated the construction of the Happy Canteen as a key project to “implement practical measures for the benefit of the people.” From the site selection and planning to the design and decoration, and from the arrangement of dishes to the pricing, residents were fully involved throughout the process, ensuring that the canteen’s construction accurately met the needs of the community.
Now, when one enters the Happiness Kitchen of this community, the clean and bright environment, and the nutritious and balanced dishes provide comfort for the elderly. The door-to-door delivery service for the elderly who are isolated, widowed, living alone, or unable to move around has extended warmth to every home of those in need. “As I get older and my legs and feet become less agile, the community now delivers hot meals to my doorstep every day. I no longer have to worry about finding food.” Holding the warm meal delivered by the grid worker, Mr. Li expressed deep gratitude.
The precise matching of people’s livelihood needs has enabled the Happiness Kitchen to take root and gain widespread support. However, for the kitchen to continue operating and benefit more elderly individuals, innovative operational models need to be developed to overcome operational challenges and ensure that the charitable nature of the service aligns with sustainable operations. In this regard, various districts and counties in Lanzhou have explored unique operational models tailored to local conditions, thereby infusing long-term vitality into elderly care and meal provision services through innovative model approaches.
Innovate business models to improve efficiency, conduct intensive operations, and benefit the people
During visits to various county and district embedded meal assistance service sites, the reporter learned that currently, different counties and districts are exploring various operational models, such as “central kitchen + community canteen + elderly meal assistance,” “government facilitation + social participation,” “institutional care facilities + meal assistance,” and “property management companies + meal assistance.” These models aim to reduce costs and improve efficiency through intensive operations, enabling the Happy Canteen to maintain its public welfare nature while achieving sustainable operation, allowing more elderly individuals to enjoy warm and nutritious meals at affordable prices.
Anning District is a prime example of the “central kitchen + community canteen + senior meal assistance” model. By 2025, the district will focus on addressing the dining challenges faced by the elderly and promote the completion and operation of eight “Beautiful Lanzhou · Happy Canteens,” which will cover four neighborhoods: Anning West Road, Peili, Yin Tan Road, and Shajingyi. “The smooth operation of these eight happy canteens is largely due to the centralized production and unified distribution model of the central kitchen,” according to the person in charge of the Anning District Civil Affairs Bureau. The centralized operation of the central kitchen not only reduces the operational costs of individual canteens but also enhances both the efficiency of meal delivery and the quality of the dishes. Braised eel, stir-fried broccoli, soup made with dumplings made of winter melon… Every day, a variety of dishes are delivered from the central kitchen to the community canteens, earning frequent praise from the elderly. “These dishes look so appetizing! It’s much easier than cooking by myself at home!” Mrs. Zhu Huizhen, from Wanli Community in Anning West Road Subdistrict, holds her tray with a smile.
Meanwhile, Anning District has leveraged the multi-source funding mechanism of “government facilitation and social participation” to integrate resources from various sources and provide robust support for the operation of the Happiness Cafeteria. This model has also been adopted throughout the city. Through measures such as enforcing tax and fee policy incentives and “incentive-based support,” Lanzhou City has encouraged social forces to participate in elderly care and meal services, thereby expanding the coverage of Happiness Cafeterias and truly achieving efficient operation and widespread benefits for the public.
The innovative business model has enabled the Happiness Kitchen to establish itself, while technological advancements have made the elderly meal assistance service more convenient and intelligent, continuously upgrading the dining experience for older adults.
Technology enhances the experience and makes meal preparation more convenient.
From intelligent settlement and facial recognition payment to AI cooking robots efficiently preparing meals, and through WeChat mini-programs for real-time nutritional analysis, Qilihe District has leveraged technology to enhance elderly meal services, creating a smart and happy dining hall. This has made convenient, efficient, and scientific dining experiences a new highlight in elderly meal services, and has also provided valuable insights for the digital upgrading of meal services for the elderly throughout the city.
On January 23, a reporter walked into the Happiness Kitchen of Wuwei Road Community, located in Xieji Street, Qilihe District. The menu featured a variety of dishes, including braised shrimp, stir-fried bamboo shoots with pork, and stir-fried small bok choy. Elderly resident Chen Lei enjoyed a hearty lunch for less than 15 yuan. “Eating at the Happiness Kitchen is clean and hygienic, the prices are reasonable, and you can choose your dishes based on taste. It’s incredibly convenient.” This convenience is made possible thanks to technological advancements. In the Happiness Kitchen of Yanjiaping South Courtyard Community, Grandma Li skillfully operates the intelligent billing system: “Just place your selected dishes on the smart weighing machine, and facial recognition will automatically process the payment. The entire process eliminates the need for exchanging money, which is perfect for us older folks.” The intelligent billing equipment integrates self-service meal selection, weighing and billing, and facial recognition payment, not only enhancing meal preparation efficiency but also effectively preventing food waste from the very source.
In the Happy Kitchens of Weiwu Road Community and Yanjia Ping South Courtyard Community, AI-operated cooking robots have become “chefs”. Staff members need only prepare the ingredients and press a button to quickly prepare and serve meals. This not only saves labor costs but also ensures the stability of dish flavors. “Consumers can also view their dining records and nutritional analysis of the dishes through a WeChat Mini Program, learning about their protein and fat intake, thus achieving scientific dining,” explained Zhang Xuelai, the head of Lanzhou Jiarilin Yixin Company, the operating entity. Currently, Qilihe District has established 13 dining points, covering 12 communities in 9 streets. Through government leadership, multi-party collaboration, and technological innovation, the “15-minute senior dining service network” is becoming increasingly comprehensive.
Technological advancements have made elder care and meal delivery services more convenient. The extension of these services has enabled the Happiness Kitchen to transcend its sole attribute of being a “place to eat” and become a community hub that combines dining, social interaction, health care, and convenience. In various communities in Lanzhou City, embedded elder care and meal delivery service points continue to improve their service offerings and organize various cultural activities, allowing the elderly to enjoy delicious food while gaining fulfillment and joy. Today, the Happiness Kitchen in Lanzhou City has become a social hub for the elderly, where they gather together, and the bonds between neighbors strengthen through laughter and joy, while the community’s cohesion continues to rise amidst the warmth of everyday life.
“Currently, Lanzhou City has invested a total of 203 million yuan to address the shortcomings in its elderly care facilities. Through the use of incentives to supplement funding, over 45 million yuan in subsidies have been distributed, reducing the pressure on private elderly care institutions to build and operate. A total of 113 community-embedded elderly care and meal service facilities have been established throughout the city. The ‘Beautiful Lanzhou · Happy Kitchen’ brand is gaining more recognition. These kitchens not only provide discounted meal services for the elderly but also offer services at affordable prices to all residents, catering to people of all ages.” According to a representative from the Lanzhou City Civil Affairs Bureau. (By our reporter Yan Nawen/with photos.)