When an emergency happens, the organization assumes guardianship of the elderly person, and makes decisions as indicated per the agreement. These cover areas such as medical decisions, property management, and hospice and palliative care. If the client passes away, the organization is responsible for executing their will, and other duties.

　　About 200 people have consulted Jinshan on the guardianship services over the past four years. It is now serving nearly 40 elderly people.

　　Fei said voluntary guardianship is not as complicated as many people imagine. “They may come to us for various reasons, but we are simply focusing on catering to their demands in a timely way with patience, effort and care — we kind of act like their children,“ said Fei, who leads a team of five people.

　　He said he and his colleagues never place themselves above their clients, but simply take responsibility for them and offer “service on demand“. His team regularly visits the clients to accompany them on outings, chat with them and provide services, especially during festivals and holidays. Most of the time, team members are on call and are prepared to meet needs as basic as grocery shopping and fixing cellphones.

　　“What we do is not difficult, but it is a bit tedious. But for some of our clients, accompanying them to a surgery or to buy groceries can be of equal importance,“ Fei said.

　　A female client surnamed Xu, born in 1950, lives alone in Shanghai. Her association with Jinshan began in July 2022 during the pandemic. She realized the need for the service when her son had to struggle to fly to China from overseas to sign a medical document for her surgery.