JiuJiu Integrated Care Files IPO Prospectus: Focused on Seniors Aged 75+, Leveraging Case Management to Connect Home, Community, and Institutional Care

In recent years, the debate over which elderly care model is superior—home-based, community-based, or institutional care—has never ceased, with a wide variety of opinions. “We cannot simply judge the merits of any one model; rather, we should focus on how older adults can choose the most suitable option at different stages and under varying conditions,” Wang Ranming, CEO of Jiujiu Integrated Care, told VCBeat (WeChat ID: vcbeat).

The care needs of older adults vary across different stages. To break away from the traditional model of relying on a single caregiver and to bridge the fragmented, either-or divide among families, communities, institutions, and hospitals, Jiujiu Integrated Care focuses on individuals aged 75 and above. Adopting an elder-centric approach, it uses “elderly assessment” as the entry point, delivers services through a four-tier system spanning “hospital–institution–community–home,” and employs “case management” as its core method to provide comprehensive, end-to-end care for older adults.

VCBeat has learned that, to date, the Jiujiu Integrated Care Model has been implemented in multiple cities, including Changzhou, Yangzhou, Xi’an, and Shanghai, across various integrated care institutions, community-based integrated care centers, and home-based elderly assessment and nursing teams, providing full-cycle, integrated services to thousands of seniors.

Regarding the persistently high vacancy rates in current elderly care institutions and community-based service outlets for seniors, Wang Ranming offered his perspective. In his view, these vacant service outlets and facilities are mostly designed for active, self-sufficient older adults, whereas medical rehabilitation and specialized nursing services—along with the corresponding teams—that truly cater to seniors with dementia, disabilities, or those recovering from acute surgery remain in short supply.

From a certain perspective, nursing care is a rigid demand, while elderly care is a demand with a certain degree of elasticity. The need for nursing care among the elderly over 75 years old is three times that of the general population. Moreover, each senior’s physical condition undergoes phased changes; therefore, pre-care assessment is crucial, and care plans should be formulated based on the assessment results. Currently, various types of institutions in the market often operate in isolation, with assessments mostly confined to “within the institution,” making it difficult to establish a closed-loop service system.

Jiujiu Integrated Care configures four professional sectors—medical care, nursing, rehabilitation, and elderly care—and integrates four service settings: hospitals, institutions, communities, and homes. For instance, individuals can receive daily living assistance and health management at home when healthy; be transferred to hospitals for outpatient visits or inpatient treatment during acute phases; undergo short- to medium-term care, day care, or rehabilitation therapy in community settings during the recovery period; and receive long-term care and chronic disease management at institutions or at home during the chronic convalescent phase.

To ensure the connectivity and safety of services for the elderly, Jiujiu Integrated Care provides convenient and secure transportation through dedicated elder-care vehicles. Notably, in terms of cost, Jiujiu Integrated Care is also committed to promoting government pilot programs for integrated payment, taking into account a coordinated mix of medical insurance coverage, government procurement, long-term care insurance, and out-of-pocket payments.

Wang Ranming told VCBeat that once a contract is signed with an elderly individual, the provider assumes responsibility for that person’s care. Every aspect of service delivery and coordination requires careful attention and must be carried out by a professional Interdisciplinary Team (IDT).

Another major highlight of Jiujiu Integrated Care is its service team, led by experienced general practice nurses who serve as case managers. These case managers are responsible for unit management, individual case oversight, resource integration, implementation facilitation, and team leadership. Accordingly, the organization has assembled a multidisciplinary care team comprising seven types of professionals: general practitioners, dietitians, nursing assistants, rehabilitation therapists, psychological counselors, and social workers.

Upon signing the contract, the case manager will convene the Interdisciplinary Team (IDT) to conduct an initial comprehensive assessment of the elderly client, covering physical health, activities of daily living (ADL), cognitive function, and mental health. Based on the assessment results, an integrated care plan will be developed. The newly enrolled client will be continuously monitored for seven days (extended to 14 days for special cases), and the findings will be analyzed through an IDT case discussion meeting to finalize the integrated care plan for the immediate phase. During the implementation of the care plan, the Case Management Center will utilize a weekly IDT meeting system to review cases of elderly clients with special conditions. When necessary, reassessments will be conducted, the care plan will be adjusted and implemented, thereby establishing a closed-loop management process.

To enhance the communication and implementation efficiency of the Interdisciplinary Team (IDT), the Case Management Center has established a cloud-based case management platform that records the entire process of elderly care assessment, planning, and implementation. Meanwhile, it actively collaborates with the government’s 12349 hotline and home-based service platforms, integrating in-home nursing, mobile elderly care services, age-friendly home modifications, and other socialized home-care services through call centers, PC clients, and mobile applications.

Wang Ranming told VCBeat that Jiujiu Integrated Care centers on seniors aged 75 and above, focusing on the “precise needs” of seniors, the “integrated operations” of institutions, and the government’s goal of “reducing medical interventions through enhanced care,” thereby promoting sustainable development with a win-win outcome for seniors, institutions, and the government.

Ultimately, in urban areas, a model has taken shape featuring institution-supported community-based home care, case management initiated by geriatric assessment, integrated care based on Interdisciplinary Team (IDT) collaboration, and an integrated payment system driven by an integrated service delivery framework.

In Wang Ranming’s view, it takes at least five years for Jiujiu Integrated Care to establish an effective coverage and efficient operational model within a city. He believes that integrated care cannot be delivered by a single institution or individual caregiver; rather, services across home-based, community, institutional, and hospital settings are all indispensable. Furthermore, the establishment of Interdisciplinary Teams (IDTs) and the implementation of integrated management require continuous accumulation and refinement, which demands sufficient time and patience.

Regarding future plans, Wang Ranming stated that Jiujiu Integrated Care’s primary task is to establish a firm foothold in its current four cities, expand the layout of urban service facilities and teams, and strengthen personnel training and integrated management. The goal is to ensure that urban residents aged 75 and above truly enjoy comprehensive, one-stop services, thereby realizing the philosophy of “people-centered care” and “reducing medical interventions through enhanced nursing care.”