Mrs Li plays ping-pong at the home-based elderly care service center in Baotou's Shiguai district. [Photo/Baotou news network]

Baotou city in North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region has been exploring innovative ways to support smart elderly care, using technology to ensure seniors live healthier, safer, and more fulfilling lives.

On the morning of Dec 3, winter sunlight streams into the home-based elderly care service center in Shiguai district. Inside, 84-year-old Mrs Li and her ping-pong partner are locked in a lively match. Between rounds, she cheerfully shares her experience of growing older with dignity and ease.

"The community gave me the smart watch I'm wearing. It's so convenient. I can check the time and monitor my blood pressure and lipids. If anything serious happens, I just press this red button, and the staff member will be alerted right away," Mrs Li explained with a smile.

These community-issued smart watches link to both family members and a smart care platform. In emergencies, pressing the help button instantly notifies community staff members and shows the senior's real-time location. If the wearer is incapacitated for an extended time, the watch sends an automatic alert to caregivers and family, triggering immediate assistance.

The integrated smart elderly care platform. [Photo/Baotou news network]

Baotou has developed an integrated smart elderly care platform that connects over 1,100 service providers, offering more than 70 types of services, ranging from household chores and repairs to health checks, catering, and communication services. The system also integrates home care beds, health screenings, and food ordering, acting as a digital guardian.

An elderly citizen enjoys head therapies at the elderly care service center. [Photo/Baotou news network]

Alongside tech tools, the home-based elderly care service center offers a vibrant cultural and emotional life: daily group activities, festival celebrations, and a sense of community. With zones for rehabilitation, recreation, and everyday living, seniors here can enjoy massage therapy, calligraphy, board games, and traditional treatments such as cupping, moxibustion, and infrared sauna sessions.

In Baotou's evolving care ecosystem, technology meets compassion, ensuring that aging is not just about living longer, but living well.