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China's elderly face solitary future

 

By Louisa Lim

BBC News, January 3, 2002

 

 

Chinese woman

More Chinese people are facing old age alone

 

 

 

 

 

 

Often they don't get enough care from their children ... so they leave home to live at an old people's home


Li Baoliang, sociologist

According to the results of a new survey, the traditional ideal of family life in China - with up to four generations living under one roof - appears to be disintegrating.

The study was sponsored by the China's National Committee on Ageing, and questioned 20,000 people.

Half the senior citizens polled said they would like to live in the same area as their children, but not in the same building itself. It is a sign that the traditional dependence of the elder generation on their children is disappearing.

 

'Not enough care'

But sociologist Li Baoliang says his experience with senior citizens in old people's homes shows this is not necessarily voluntary.

 

There's a huge amount that needs to be done


Adam Platt, Help Age International

"Often they don't get enough care from their children and psychologically they don't get enough support, so they leave home to live at an old people's home," he says.

Almost three-quarters of those surveyed say they would not want to live in a nursing home.

But they say they would like more community services such as help with household chores and medical care.

As such, the research provides important pointers to the Chinese Government about how it can improve care of its senior citizens.

 

Greying population

Adam Platt from Help Age International is working with China's National Committee on Ageing, and he says there is an urgent need to take action.

"There's a huge amount that needs to be done," he says. "We have to recognise that China's population of elderly people at present is 130 million.

"That's twice the entire population of a country the size of Great Britain. And by the year 2020 the population of elderly people is set to increase to 230 million. "

The rapidly greying population presents the Chinese Government with serious challenges, and the cost of providing state care could cripple future taxpayers.

But experts say surveys like this one show the Chinese Government is taking that threat seriously

 

 

 

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