Rural elderly need more care: experts

Officials and experts on aging from both China and the United Nations called on the Chinese government Monday to provide better services and care for the elderly in rural areas.

Arie Hoekman, the United Nations Population Fund's representative in China, said mass migration of younger adults to work in cities has dramatically increased the number of senior citizens in rural areas.

"The proportion of aging people in rural areas continues to increase at a higher rate than urban areas due to rural-urban migration of predominantly young people," Hoekman told the Beijing symposium "Aging in the 21st Century: A Celebration and a Challenge."

Older people accounted for 11.5 percent of the population in cities in 2010, 1.5 percentage points higher than in 2000.

In many villages the elderly accounted for 15 percent of local residents, which was 4 percentage points higher than a decade ago, according to a report released Monday by the Gerontology Institute with the Renmin University of China (RUC).

Over 66 percent of urban senior's income comes from their retirement allowance and pension, in contrast to 4.6 percent for the rural senior, said Du Peng, the RUC institute's director.

There is an urgent need to guarantee old-age security and access to essential health and social services for older people in rural areas, said Wu Yushao, vice president of China National Committee on Ageing.

Zeng Yi, professor with Peking University, recommended the government adopt more measures to encourage young people to live together with their parents.

"Co-residency with their children substantially improves a senior's cognitive function, self-rated health and life satisfaction," Zeng said.

Seniors over 60 who live alone or with their spouse reached 62 million in 2010, accounting for one third of the total elderly population, Du's report shows.

Older women are more likely to fall victim of discrimination, "including poor access to jobs and healthcare, subject to abuse, denial of the right to own and inherit property, and lack of minimum income and social security," said Hoekman Monday.

"For every 100 women aged between 80 and 84, there are fewer than 80 men; and for every 100 women aged over 90, there are slightly fewer than 50 men," Hoekman said.

More than half of older people are educated, up from 22.5 percent in 2000, indicating they can also be an active and productive group in the society, Du said.