Plight of China's Elderly in Rural Areas

By Maria Siow, Channel New Asia

June 8, 2012

World

  Photo Credit: MediaCorp

BEIJING: In China, the continued migration of young adults into cities has seen many elderly being left behind.

This means the family unit, which has traditionally been the main source of support for rural elderly, has slowly been crumbling.

77-year-old Liu Changgui lives alone in a village in Anhui province.

His wife has died and his only daughter moved to the city several years ago.

Up till a few years ago, Mr Liu was able to make money by growing crops in nearby fields.

Now, he said he does not have the energy for such manual labour.

Mr Liu's only source of income is from a nephew living in a nearby village.

And his only respite from loneliness is a group of college students. During their fortnightly visits, these students talk to Mr Liu, make him dumplings and attend to his needs.

Mr Liu said: "I am alone but I am still optimistic. The students come often. They help me wash my clothes, sweep the floor, and do other housework."

Over at Dai Xingguo's home a short walk away, the 65-year-old is still healthy enough to work in the fields.

He is also one of the luckier ones to get a government subsidy.

He said: "I get 1,500 yuan, plus another 500 yuan for medical expenses. So every year, I get 2,000 yuan."

But with his family away, Mr Dai has little to do except watch television on a TV set that has seen better days.

Fan Haifeng, a college student, said: "Apart from looking out for their daily lives, during harvesting seasons, we will also help them pick apples, or gather wheat and soybean."

Another college student, Zhou Xuan, said: "The elderly are satisfied if we can just come and spend time just to sit quietly next to them. They will feel that even though they are old and living in poverty, there are still people in the world who care for them."

One of the main problems faced by elderly singles in rural communities is their sources of income and livelihood. Incomes derived from growing seasonal crops are said to be minimal, while government subsidies largely inadequate.

There are many more elderly living in rural areas than there are in urban ones.

The government has pledged more funds to improve social support services for the aged in rural areas.

They have also promised to increase medical reimbursements to help reduce the financial burden of the elderly.

But with little savings, pension and family support, social and psychological assistance are just as important, to ensure the elderly won't have to spend their twilight years coping with poverty, loneliness, or worse, depression.