In recent years, Shaoyang County has consistently anchored its development in a "people-first" approach, treating the daily necessities and urgent concerns of its citizens as the starting point for governance. The county has focused on areas such as convenient medical services, improved elderly care, and social safety nets, implementing a series of tangible measures to bring livelihood projects to the people's hearts, ensuring residents have a stronger sense of gain, more sustainable happiness, and greater security.

To address the cumbersome re-examination and certification processes for patients with chronic conditions like hypertension and diabetes, the county has optimized its primary-level health service layout. It has established an integrated chronic disease management platform, streamlining key links between health security and convenient services for this group. This approach strengthens the foundation of the county's livelihood security through refined medical services. Wang Huitian, a resident of Dongshan Village in Tangdukou Town, has long suffered from myocardial infarction. He requires regular medication to stabilize his condition, and the monthly cost of medication was once a heavy burden. This year, after completing a one-stop certification for "outpatient chronic and special diseases" at the hospital, his medical insurance reimbursement and civil welfare policies were implemented simultaneously, directly reducing his monthly medication expenses to a level fully affordable for an ordinary family. Standing at the pharmacy window, Wang calculated his costs: "Before, I didn't get the certification, and I had to spend 500 to 700 yuan on medicine, at least 300. I could only buy one month's supply at a time. Today, I only need to pay over 70 yuan for the medicine. Before, it cost over 300 yuan. This has saved me 70%."

Shaoyang County has a large base of rural chronic disease patients, many of whom are elderly and have mobility issues. Previously, applying for chronic disease certification, annual reviews, and benefit changes required multiple trips to government service halls, medical insurance windows, and hospitals—a process that could take half a day. To solve this problem, the county has built a standardized chronic disease management center, integrating service windows from multiple departments. This has transformed the "multiple trips" process into a "one-stop service." "We have built a dedicated chronic disease management center with a special reimbursement window. The qualification certification, annual review, and benefit changes for 47 types of chronic and special diseases, including hypertension, diabetes, and coronary heart disease, can all be completed within the hospital in one go," explained Wu Yufeng, Vice President of the Shaoyang County People's Hospital.

While optimizing convenient medical services, the county has also been strengthening elderly care. It is actively promoting the implementation of a combination of medical and elderly care models at the township level, providing high-quality care services close to home for the disabled, semi-disabled, and elderly in recovery. The Hunan Zhengyuan Medical and Elderly Care Project in Jiugongqiao Town is a key livelihood project for the county's "15th Five-Year Plan." Located near Baoqing Forest Park, the project leverages the ecological advantages of a natural oxygen bar. It includes a second-level rehabilitation hospital, a professional nursing home, a residential care center, and a full-chain smart elderly care system, offering one-stop services for rehabilitation, daily care, and leisure living. Zhou Shiwen, a 61-year-old resident from Shuangqing District, Shaoyang City, had been bedridden for two years due to sequelae from a cerebral hemorrhage, leading to a continuous decline in physical function. Just three months after entering the project's nursing home and receiving professional care, his physical function and mental state have significantly improved. Reflecting on this period, Zhou said, "These three months have been a great experience for me. I've quit smoking and drinking. Our diet is also more balanced, not too salty or bland. I've gained 6 jin (about 3 kg) in three months."

"Our county has always adhered to a people-centered development philosophy, treating the small matters of the masses as major issues for the Party committee and government. We will continue to optimize elderly care services, improve the assistance system, address livelihood shortcomings, and steadily promote the quality and efficiency of various livelihood projects," stated Zhu Xiangming, Director of the Shaoyang County Civil Affairs Bureau.

In recent years, the county has continuously strengthened its livelihood safety net, steadily raising assistance standards and expanding coverage. Currently, there are 36,297 recipients of subsistence allowances, 5,736 people receiving special hardship assistance, and 17,279 people on the margins of these allowances. Over 30,000 people are aged 80 or above. Subsidies for two types of disabilities are fully paid on a monthly basis, ensuring that all eligible needy people are covered. The county has built a comprehensive urban and rural elderly service network, establishing multi-level service stations at the township, community, and village levels, with a total of 9,152 elderly care beds. Relying on a smart elderly care dispatch platform, the county has successfully built a 15-minute service circle in urban areas and a 30-minute service circle in rural areas. It has completed home modifications for over 1,000 elderly households and provided standardized home-based care services for 11,200 elderly people, with total service hours exceeding 60,000. Through continuous improvement in nursing home management and in-depth promotion of the combination of medical and elderly care, the quality of elderly services has been significantly upgraded. At the same time, the county has improved a comprehensive protection system for minors, with 21 townships achieving full coverage of child protection workstations. It has equipped township and village-level child work teams, collaborated with social organizations and township social work stations to carry out public welfare special services, and created several distinctive care brands, serving over 6,000 people in key groups, including children in need, left-behind elderly, and people with mental disorders.

"In the next step, we will continue to focus on the urgent needs of the masses, refine service measures, address livelihood shortcomings, regularly handle various livelihood matters, and continuously improve the level of public services to enhance the sense of gain and happiness of the people," Zhu Xiangming added.

Shaoyang County's livelihood efforts have always started from the details and broken through at key points. From reducing the burden of medical expenses for patients, to upgrading the quality of elderly care, to providing precise support for special groups, a comprehensive, multi-level livelihood security network has been fully rolled out across the county's urban and rural areas. A warm and rich picture of the people's happiness is unfolding on the land by the Fuyi River.