Aging Beijing: challenges and strategies of health care for the elderly.

Following the global trend of population aging, China became an aging society at the end of the 20th century. The ever-growing medical demands of the elderly, the lag in medical insurance policy, and the late development of geriatric services make the present situation of public health in China worrying. To meet these challenges, the Beijing municipal government has actively adjusted its development strategies and has been building up a medical service and healthcare system suitable for the elderly. The core of the system is a three-level management of geriatric diseases: prevention and treatment for chronic diseases, functional rehabilitation, long-term care, and family attendance at rural and urban community health service centers (stations); post-acute rehabilitation, long-term care, and palliative treatment in the specialized geriatric hospitals of every district (county); and rescue and treatment for acute and serious geriatric diseases in the geriatric sections of all general hospitals and Beijing Geriatric Hospital. By raising awareness and gaining support from all of society, the implementation of this system will benefit millions of elderly people and promote the sustainable financial development and social harmony of Beijing.