As the population of China ages rapidly, the country faces the acute challenge of how to take care of the gray-haired residents, especially those living alone. The good news is more innovative and considerate approaches are being used to support these seniors.

Smart water meter

Last year, community workers on Jiangsu Street in Shanghai fixed smart water meters at the homes of elderly people living alone. The device automatically sends an alarm to community workers if less than 0.01 cubic meters of water is used in 12 hours. That allows community workers to rush to check the situation of the seniors quickly.

Magnetic devices are also installed on the doors of the elderly residents' homes to alert community workers if the doors remain unopened for 48 hours.

Other gadgets installed in the elderly people's homes are smoke alarms and water detectors which send out alarms when water overflows in a container.