Senior Housing in China : Investigating Critical Success Factors for China’s CCRC projects

Abstract: As one result of the higher expected lifespan and lower fertility rate, an aging society has become an inevitable trend in many countries worldwide. According to the prediction of the newest census outcomes, China will confront an aging society around2022. An aging society requires the development and improvement of the domestic elderly care system to match the increasing caring need for all the aging people in China. This research aims to explore the critical success factors for a typical community-based aging care project – the Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC) in China from the perspectives of private developers. Based on the theory of the decision-making environment and the theory of planned behavior (TPB), qualitative method (semi-structured interviews) and quantitative method (questionnaire survey) are applied to collect and analyze the potential Critical Success Factors. Twenty-five critical success factors are identified and verified for China’s CCRC projects and categorized into three components. Furthermore, most private developers’ attitudes toward CCRC in China are positive and believe in a bright outlook. The findings might help private developers better understand the decision-making environment of developing and operating a CCRC in China. It may also inspire policymakers with more practical policies for the future development and operation of CCRC projects in China.