From 13 to 22 August, headed by Ai Baiying, Vice Chairman and Secretary General of CWI, a 5-person delegation consisting of veteran cadres of CWI Headquarters and staff members of CWI Senior Citizen Development Center paid a ten-day visit to Switzerland and Sweden for investigation. The delegation particularly investigated the development of senior welfare system in western countries with a high standard of social welfare and the current situation of their service system for the elderly, and visited some institutions for the elderly to draw on experience in their operation models and service provision to the elderly.

　　Relevant leaders and staff members of CURAVIVA, the Swiss association of social welfare, gave the delegation a warm reception, and the delegation visited four institutions for the elderly. CURAVIVA is mainly engaged in the providing services to the elderly, the disabled, children and young people and conducting related research. The members of the delegation mainly exchanged ideas with those institutions regarding social welfare undertakings for the elderly. The "open-type" operation model, the human resources allocation program with separated "decision-operation", and “central kitchen” based catering service system were of great referential values. Meanwhile, CURAVIVA delivered reports on its work in such fields as participation of the elderly in policy-making process, media and public relations, plenary meetings and medical instructions to the elderly, which also provided valuable references for the future development model of CWI Senior Citizen Development Center.

　　The two sides also set up a good platform of cooperation during this visit. Both sides preliminarily reached a consensus in carrying out cooperation regarding talent exchange. The delegation acquired relevant information on the classification standard for nursing of elderly service system established by the International Association of Homes and Services for the Ageing (IAHSA), as well as the latest news about the special international conferences to be held in China by IAHSA from 2012 to 2013.

　　When visiting Swedish High Quality Nursing Center, the delegation was deeply impressed by its "360-degree Hospital Admission Tracking System", "Nursing Units" layout model and the new trend in the categorization of institutions for the elderly. The delegation also witnessed the application of music therapy, pet therapy and touch therapy in senior care practice, which broadened the mind and provide a basis for the CWI Rest Home to make innovation in providing services in relevant fields in the future.

　　As the senior care undertaking of CWI has a short history but a high starting point, how to keep up with the world’s advanced elderly service concepts and draw upon professional skills and experience from western countries for localization becomes an important historical mission falling on the shoulders of senior care institutions of CWI.