In this final segment of her four-part series on Xinjiang in China, Cape Times reporter Nicolette Dirk reveals how the Korla Welfare Home in the city of Korla is supported by local government.
One of the things that impressed me most during my visit to the Chinese province of Xinjiang was how the local government assists in caring for the elderly and disabled at the Korla Welfare Home in the city of Korla.
In 2004, the local government’s deputy general secretary visited the home and generously donated most of the equipment it required to properly sustain it.
The equipment and facilities at Korla Welfare Home are similar to those found in a three-star hotel.
Overall investment in the neat structure was 32.52 million yuan (about R65 million).
Built in 2010, the facility consists of a rehabilitation centre, a medical centre and a library for its 53 residents, 10 of whom are orphans. But apart from the orphans, it also provides refuge for senior citizens who have no one else to care for them.
The facility has 146 rooms and the capacity to accommodate 200 people with 18 staff members catering to residents’ needs.
Most of the people accommodated at Korla Welfare Home have been referred there by social workers who deal with cases of elderly people in the district.
To qualify as a resident at the home, senior citizens must have no income and no children.
Resident Han Saga, 80, described her life at Korla Welfare Home as happy for the eight years she has lived there.
With no relatives or children to take care of her, the home has been her only refuge. Being wheelchair-bound, she could also no longer do basic things for herself.
When her husband died eight years ago, she was sent to the home.
“Every day, I am able to enjoy the sunshine and rehabilitation exercises for two hours after breakfast,” she said.
Before coming to Korla, she could not use her arms or legs, but the rehabilitation exercises have improved her strength.
Disabled and orphaned children at the home also receive various types of training to encourage their independence. The oldest child looked after by the institute is a blind 18-year-old girl who is being trained to become a masseur.
The elderly at the home receive a subsidy from government of 500 yuan (approximately R1 003) a month, while disabled children get 1 100 yuan a month (R2 208).
The home uses some of the money to pay for a few of the health services it provides.
Disabled children get more money because a lot of focus is placed on providing them with the proper nutrition to assist in treating their conditions.
Korla Welfare Home belongs to the social welfare bureau of the area’s local government.
The facility has a sports and entertainment centre where seniors can play pool or traditional musical instruments under the close watch of the facility’s staff.
The staff all have specialised training in either nursing and rehabilitation. And full-time employees are assisted by volunteers.
nicolette.dirk@inl.co.za
