Research on the Role of Traditional Chinese Medicine in the Elderly Care Industry

In the context of population aging, healthy elderly care has received much attention. This study investigated the role of Chinese medicine in the elderly care industry and analyzed the status quo of aging and the need for elderly care in China, covering living, medical and health care. The characteristics of the integration of Chinese medicine and the elderly care industry include “preventive treatment of disease”, the full range of services, and a focus on holistic conditioning, with advantages including safety, many physiotherapy methods, and high cost-effectiveness. The current status of its development was reviewed, starting with the integration of medical and elderly care and community-based elderly care; challenges such as insufficient standardization, a shortage of talent, and difficulty supervising service quality were noted; and suggestions were put forward in response to problems such as promoting standardization, strengthening talent training, improving policy support, and industrial integration and innovation. This study provides a theoretical reference for the development of TCM health care services for elderly individuals.