Care industry struggling to cope with rise in elderly
Print Edition
When looking for a balance between independence and health care in later life, China’s older generation must navigate an under-developed, overwhelmed sector.
At the end of 2014, there were 212 million Chinese, or 15.5 percent of the population, aged 60 or above. That is expected to increase by around 10 million every year.
Vice Minister of Civil Affairs Zou Ming says the care industry is under prepared.
With a rapidly aging population and many people leaving their hometowns in search of work, suitable elderly care options must be found, he says.
Both the government and the private sector are seeking to develop viable solutions.
Nursing homes in China are beset by a number of problems currently.
A fire at a care home in Henan Province, central China, in May claimed the lives of 38 of its elderly residents, causing many to question the standards of elderly-care centers.
Care homes are also struggling with staff shortages. By the end of this year the government predicts there will be 30 beds for every 1,000 elderly people. There are 290,000 nurses specializing in geriatric care across the whole country. Even if every nurse cared for three disabled seniors, there would still be 10 million with no caregiver.
The central government is championing home-based care and services for those that do not need special facilities.
In 2013, the State Council issued a guideline calling for the incorporation of home-based care, community support and nursing resources.
Luan Bingmai, 73, is one of more than 3,000 seniors in Tianjin to benefit from the initiative. After her health took a turn for the worse a few years ago, she found herself unable to complete her daily chores. So she signed up for a home help, and now gets meals delivered by staff at a nearby care home.
In addition, the elderly population of Tianjin can receive health care, medication and consultation, in their homes.
According to the government guideline, home-based care should be a fundamental part of the elderly care system.
Nursing facilities and care homes should be the last resort, said Gao Yunxia from the China Philanthropy Research Institute.
Although government financial support has been steady over the past few years, Zou acknowledged that more private funding is needed.
The migration of millions of farmers to the cities has exacerbated the problem, leaving many elderly people without the usual family support. Once these farmers become too old to work the land, they lose their only source of income.
In Qingdao in east China’s Shandong Province, residents have begun to transfer their land rights to a village cooperative in return for elderly care.
The land will be used to grow vegetables and rear livestock on a large scale and the money invested in a nursing home for people who used to work the land.
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