{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,18]],"date-time":"2026-09-18T10:04:16Z","timestamp":1789725856059,"version":"4.0.1"},"reference-count":12,"publisher":"Wiley","issue":"4","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,19]],"date-time":"2026-08-19T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1787097600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":18,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-nd\/4.0\/"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,1]],"date-time":"2026-08-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1785542400000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/doi.wiley.com\/10.1002\/tdm_license_1.1"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["onlinelibrary.wiley.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Aging Medicine"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,8]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>ABSTRACT<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:p>China's demographic landscape is undergoing a dramatic transformation. With over 297 million people aged 60 and above\u2014comprising 21.1% of the total population\u2014the nation faces unprecedented challenges in providing adequate end\u2010of\u2010life care for its elderly citizens. It is against this backdrop that the National Health Commission of the People's Republic of China released the \u201cStandard for Geriatric Hospice Care Wards (WS\/T844\u20132024)\u201d on July 24, 2024, which aims to fill the institutional gap and promote the critical transition of hospice care services from \u201cempirical exploration\u201d to \u201cstandardized development\u201d. This Standard specifies the configuration requirements for geriatric hospice care wards in terms of ward configuration, staffing models, age\u2010appropriate equipment, and quality assurance mechanisms. While the WS\/T 844\u20132024 standard establishes a much\u2010needed framework for service standardization, its ultimate outcome will depend on how well it can be adapted to China's diverse healthcare landscape and resource constraints. This critique aims to identify both the strengths and potential limitations of the WS\/T 844\u20132024 standard, offering insights for policymakers and healthcare providers tasked with its implementation. By doing so, the article addresses the following questions: What blueprint does the WS\/T 844\u20132024 standard outline for geriatric hospice care in China? What key tensions may arise when this blueprint confronts the practical challenges of China's uneven distribution of medical resources, shortage of professional workforce, and cultural traditions? And how can a pragmatic implementation pathway be constructed to bridge the gap between the ideal and the reality?<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1002\/agm2.70097","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,19]],"date-time":"2026-08-19T13:38:03Z","timestamp":1787146683000},"page":"438-442","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Advancing Geriatric Hospice Care in China: An Interpretation and Critical Analysis of the New National Standard WS\/T 844\u20132024"],"prefix":"10.1002","volume":"9","author":[{"given":"Yinan","family":"Wu","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Beijing Hospital, National Center for Gerontology, National Clinical Research Center for Gerontology, the Key Laboratory of Geriatrics of NHC, Institute of Geriatric Medicine Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences  Beijing China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4368-4276","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Chang","family":"Li","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Beijing Hospital, National Center for Gerontology, National Clinical Research Center for Gerontology, the Key Laboratory of Geriatrics of NHC, Institute of Geriatric Medicine Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences  Beijing China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Shangxin","family":"Liu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Beijing Hospital, National Center for Gerontology, National Clinical Research Center for Gerontology, the Key Laboratory of Geriatrics of NHC, Institute of Geriatric Medicine Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences  Beijing China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Huiping","family":"Chen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Palliative Medicine, West China School of Public Health and West China Fourth Hospital Sichuan University  Chengdu Sichuan China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yongyi","family":"Chen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Nursing Department, Hunan Cancer Hospital The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University  Changsha Hunan China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Xinyu","family":"Chen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Director's Office Zhejiang Hospital  Hangzhou Zhejiang China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yumei","family":"Wang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"General Practice &amp; Palliative Care Ward Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University  Shenyang Liaoning China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yuan","family":"Qin","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Hospice &amp; Palliative Care Department Beijing Haidian Hospital  Beijing China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6025-844X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Zhong","family":"Yi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Geriatrics Aerospace Central Hospital  Beijing China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Pengjun","family":"Zhang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Beijing Hospital, National Center for Gerontology, National Clinical Research Center for Gerontology, the Key Laboratory of Geriatrics of NHC, Institute of Geriatric Medicine Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences  Beijing China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0008-2640-0332","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Biyan","family":"Jiang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Nursing Zhejiang Hospital  Hangzhou Zhejiang China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jianye","family":"Wang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Beijing Hospital, National Center for Gerontology, National Clinical Research Center for Gerontology, the Key Laboratory of Geriatrics of NHC, Institute of Geriatric Medicine Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences  Beijing China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Bei","family":"Lai","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Beijing Hospital, National Center for Gerontology, National Clinical Research Center for Gerontology, the Key Laboratory of Geriatrics of NHC, Institute of Geriatric Medicine Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences  Beijing China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"311","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,19]]},"reference":[{"key":"e_1_2_11_2_1","unstructured":"Ministry of Civil Affairs of the People's Republic of China The National Working Commission on Aging \u201cAnnual Bulletin on the Development of Aging Affairs in China \u201d(2023) https:\/\/www.mca.gov.cn\/gdnps\/n2445\/n2451\/n2458\/n2681\/c1662004999980001754\/attr\/360864.pdf."},{"key":"e_1_2_11_3_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.2147\/RMHP.S451588"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_4_1","unstructured":"Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party State Council of the People's Republic of China \u201cHealthy China 2030 Plan Outline \u201d(2016) http:\/\/www.gov.cn\/zhengce\/2016\u201010\/25\/content_5124174.htm."},{"key":"e_1_2_11_5_1","unstructured":"National Health and Family Planning Commission of the People's Republic of China \u201cNotice on Issuing the Basic Standards and Management Norms for Hospice Care Centers (Trial) \u201d(2017) http:\/\/www.nhc.gov.cn\/wjw\/c100175\/201702\/4016b25cfc984be087fab67bbab2dfa2.shtml."},{"key":"e_1_2_11_6_1","unstructured":"State Council of the People's Republic of China \u201cOpinions on Implementing the Healthy China Action \u201d(2019) http:\/\/www.gov.cn\/zhengce\/content\/2019\u201007\/15\/content_5409492.htm."},{"key":"e_1_2_11_7_1","unstructured":"National Health Commission of the People's Republic of China \u201cBulletin on the Development of Health and Family Planning in China \u201d(2022) http:\/\/www.nhc.gov.cn\/guihuaxxs\/c100132\/202310\/fe43a403432f4ced93bd06a497bd7a4e.shtml."},{"key":"e_1_2_11_8_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjopen\u20102023\u2010083400"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_9_1","unstructured":"National Health Commission of the People's Republic of China \u201cStandards for Hospice Care Services (Trial) (WS\/T 844\u20132024) \u201d(2024) http:\/\/www.nhc.gov.cn\/fzs\/c100048\/202408\/8018a6bf5add47daac499f91b1fc5b86\/files\/1733125973288_23386.pdf."},{"key":"e_1_2_11_10_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1200\/jop.18.00087"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_11_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1017\/CBO9780511526428.017"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_12_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1051\/e3sconf\/202345207009"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_13_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1093\/ageing\/afab030.34"}],"container-title":["AGING 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