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Nightingale Nurses Bring Hope to Lonely Elderly
14 Oct
Summary
- Nursing team offers psychological companionship to isolated seniors.
- Volunteers provide emotional support, guiding elders to social activities.
- AI and training are being integrated into expanded rescue services.
The 'Nightingale' nursing service volunteer team, founded in 2011 and led by Cao Yingjuan, provides vital support to various groups, including empty-nest seniors. Their services, which started on Nanxin Street in Jinan, Shandong, now reach across 16 cities in Shandong and extend to Shaanxi and Xinjiang.
Cao, inspired by personal loss, leads volunteers in home visits offering psychological companionship. This has helped elders like 73-year-old Yang emerge from isolation and become volunteers themselves. The team's model guides elders from home confinement to social activities, combating depression and loneliness.
Since 2025, a medical-network partnership with the Baotuquan subdistrict office has created dedicated health stewards for solitary elderly residents. The team plans to introduce AI therapy systems and expand emergency rescue training, with a life education base opening in May 2025.
This initiative trains rescue instructors and certified rescuers, with standardized first-aid courses reaching rural and elderly groups. The team's philosophy emphasizes that care happens in households and hearts, offering companionship and warmth. They also assist hospitals in Tanzania and Pakistan with aid plans.
