Canteens for seniors feed demands of aging population

It's lunchtime, and the canteen in a residential community in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, is buzzing with excitement. Inside, a tempting array of freshly cooked dishes awaits the elderly residents of the neighborhood.

A message flashes across a screen as one senior enters — "Mr Chen, seafood and soy products aren't suitable for you today". Personalized reminders appear on the screen for certain residents, and offer meal suggestions based on their health data.

The canteen for seniors in Cuiyuan No 1 Community, one of the first government-subsidized dining halls for elderly people in Zhejiang, offers discounted meals and delivery services for senior residents.

The community is home to over 9,800 people, a quarter of whom are aged 60 or above. As the dietary needs of the seniors have evolved, so has the canteen's technology.

"Our canteen has become much smarter," said Xiang Feifei, director of the community residents' committee.

"For seniors who require special care, the day care center monitors their vital signs and feeds this data into the canteen's digital system. If someone is allergic to seafood, the system detects it and generates a customized menu advising them what to avoid," she said.

To protect privacy and ensure security, facial recognition and health data usage are governed by a privacy agreement. Both elderly residents and their children sign this agreement, ensuring the data is used only with their consent and strictly for non-commercial purposes, Xiang said.

The initiative not only improves the quality of life for the elderly, but also provides crucial support for younger family members, including those who have to work during the day and are unable to look after their parents at all times.

For 66-year-old Hu Huali, her visits to the community's seniors canteen, which is just a five-minute walk from her home, have become a part of her daily routine.

"I love the Dongpo pork and braised beef here. The meat is so tender and flavorful," she said. "A hearty meal with one meat dish and two vegetable sides costs around 16 yuan ($2.25). It's delicious and affordable."

Chen Peng's parents, both of whom are nearing 80, enjoy three discounted meals a day from Monday to Friday.

"In the past, their meals were often makeshift — flatbread and fried dough in the morning, boiled porridge with pickled vegetables — sometimes they would eat like that all day," Chen said. "We were really worried."

Now, this burden has been eased. "For elderly people like my parents, they can enjoy hot, affordable meals and have someone to chat with, which helps alleviate loneliness," he added.