An elderly couple walks in a park near an elderly care center in Nanchang, Jiangxi Province. (XINHUA)

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Chinese people born in the baby boom between 1960s and 1970s gradually enter retirement age after 2020. The problem of population aging is developing rapidly, with the senior population growing by 10 million annually due to progress in medicine and society. The State Council estimated that the number of people aged 60 or older will reach 255 million by 2020, accounting for 17.8 percent of the total population. Circumstances like this pose a remarkable challenge to elder care.

By the end of 2016, the number of service units or facilities for elder care had reached 140,000, including 29,000 registered service units. Additionally, there are 35,000 service units or facilities in communities. The country has a total of 7.3 million beds for senior care and 3.2 million of them are equipped with services like overnight stay and daily care.

China has the largest base of seniors and faces complicated challenges to support them. The launch of favorable policies is only a start. Various social forces should make collective efforts to tackle the problem, said Wu Cangping, honorary director of China Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics.

The shortage of talent in the senior care industry is another challenge, requiring greater future investment in related fields and a higher status of talent devoted to elderly care or family service. For example, governments may give prioritized policies to subsidize these professionals and improve standards of their wages. Also, companies and universities can work together to train more talent for elderly care and family service.

The demand for elder care has a range of dimensions. Physical health is a necessity while mental health also matters. Many seniors tend to live with family members, which eases their sense of loneliness. In addition to the outside help from governments, children and social forces, elderly people should stay optimistic and strive to socialize more, said Wu, a 96-year-old man, adding that seniors need to become more independent.

In traditional society, seniors could survive with their skills and experience without difficulties. However, the rapid change brought by science, technology and the internet has greatly altered the way people live. A lot of elderly people have failed to adapt to these changes. “It is inevitable for them to feel marginalized and disappointed after retirement. Such negative emotions are unhealthy for elderly care. Life-long learning targeting seniors can help them have a sense of belonging. With the development of knowledge and skills, seniors should continue to learn so that they can fit in the modern lifestyle and avoid being isolated from society,” Wu said.

 

The article was edited and translated from Guangming Daily.

(edited by MA YUHONG)