比较视野下适老化改造的国际经验与中国路径

International Comparative Lesson-Drawing for Advancing Housing Adaptation for the Elderly in China

适老化改造是当代实现居家养老的前提条件,已成为各国应对人口快速老龄化的基本政策。我国自2013年新《老年人权益保障法》强调建设老年宜居环境以来,各地开始推动老年人生活环境的改善,但由于责任主体不明、操作程序不清等诸多问题,改造成效相对有限。较早步入老龄化的西方发达国家已普遍实施居家适老化改造,建构了一套切实可行的制度体系和服务路径。本文通过比较分析美国、日本、瑞典在不同福利政策下形成的适老化改造实践,总结这些国家的典型做法和先进经验,进而提出我国适老化改造的规范化建议及可行性路径,以解决环境设施和老龄化社会要求之间日益凸显的矛盾。

Housing adaptation(or home modification) is a key element of ageing in place,which has become a type of national strategy in response to demographic changes in various countries. Since the Chinese Law on the Protection of the Rights and Interests of the Elderly(1996) was revised in 2013 to highlight housing adaptation for older people,local governments started taking measures to improve older people’s living environment. Yet,due to fragmented accountabilities and complicated adaptation processes,the provision of housing adaptation was not as efficient and effective as desired. By contrast,many developed counties with an earlier entry in the ageing society have provided housing adaptation for older people under various welfare systems for years and made certain progress. This article chose Japan,Sweden,and the United States as three typical examples for international comparative lesson-drawing. Such advanced experiences should help China to improve the home adaptation process as well as its social welfare system to meet the rising needs in a rapidly ageing society.