China faces elderly care problem

China faces a rapidly aging population, and the country's one-child policy means its household-centered elderly care will be increasingly difficult to maintain in the future. With the start of a new year, Chinese people hope seniors can be taken better care of as the country strives to become a well-off society. So what are the possible solutions for elderly care? And what still needs to be done to ensure a worry-free life after retirement?

82-year-old Ma Minhui has been living in Niu Jie Nursing home for almost five years. Her daily routine is to make embroideries with her fellow seniors. For her, life is convenient here, as she is taken care of 24 hours a day, and can enjoy companionship which is hard to find at home.

Ma Minhui, Niu Jie Nursing Home, said,"I live separately from my children. I often worried what I would do if I fell ill with no one around. So I decided to move here because there are professional staff to take care of me. And with my friends, I don't feel lonely. So life is better here."

Life is better in the nursing home. That might be true, but it''s also because there is no better option. With changing life and working patterns, an increasing number of young people are choosing to live alone. Almost two thirds of grown-up children live away from their parents, resulting in many empty nesters.

Wang Yajie, director of Niu Jie Nursing Home, said,"Currently, the family structure is becoming smaller. Most families have one child, a pair of parents and four elderly. So there is little time and energy to look after their parents. So they can only send them here. And our capacity is far short of demand."

By the end of 2011, 185 million people in China were aged 60 or over, and the number is expected to rise to account for about 30 percent of China's total population by the middle of this century. Experts say to ensure a worry-free life after retirement, elderly care needs to be improved.

Professor Yang Yansui, Tsinghua University, said,"The provision, delivery and purchase of elderly care service should be a complete industrial chain. There should be more community-based services provided by professional institutions. In terms of paying for it, tailored solutions should be made in terms of land, facilities and care services."