China’s Nursing Home Stigma: Who Will Care For The Elderly? | Insight | Full Episode

China is facing an aging population. Over the next decade, about 300 million people are set to retire. This is nearly equivalent to the size of the US population.

As the silver tsunami buffets China, the country has started to tackle this issue, aiming to build basic elderly care systems in every province by 2025. Services will include material assistance, nursing, and caregiving. But in a country where filial piety is considered a core virtue, sending one’s parents to a care facility is a social stigma. There is an expectation that children should look after their parents, a view particularly held among the rural population. But in the face of economic headwinds, caring for the aged is becoming an increasing burden on China’s sandwich generation.

How will China navigate this cultural shift around eldercare?

0:00 China’s growing ageing population
4:57 Cost of caring for China’s ageing population
7:48 China’s healthcare worker shortage
11:26 The changing view of filial piety
16:55 Stigma around nursing homes
19:20 The problem in rural areas
23:10 The cost of retirement
28:24 China’s buckling pension system and raising retirement age
35:40 Loneliness in the elderly
37:25 A different kind of community
42:21 Is technology the solution?
44:03 The challenges ahead as China ages

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ABOUT THE SHOW: Insight investigates and analyses topical issues that impact Asia and the rest of the world.
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[swetdevil]

Growing in a chinese family. My parents have so much expectation from me. I feel like a slave to them. Now that i have my own carrier, they still forcing me to work at their business on weekends. i understand they love me and gave me everything I have, i love them but also feel hate and anger. I now feel stuck with confused feelings. I dont want and will not have children because im afraid to make the same mistake they did.

[amitlegare]

This is the same in some Caribbean countries. My grandmother lives with my mother but she helps herself while my mom works. We dont believe in nursing homes, but living in the United States makes it hard to uphold that part of our culture.

[durian]

Chinese young couples do not want more children not because of one child policy which was abolished in 2016. The economic and social stresses in modern China discourage them to have children.

[virginiawai]

With the one child policy, a couple in their 40’s will be looking after 2 sets of parents, maybe grandparents also. There will be 1 or 2. Children to look after. They have to have jobs to take care of themselves and everybody, people are living into their 80’s and 90’s.
I do not see how the ‘children’ can manage, in my opinion this is a society that is swallowing up its children.

[garywoodgrw]

This highlights a difference in perspective between Eastern and Western cultures. I told my parents in the UK that I planned to have them move in with me when they’re older so I could take care of them. However, they both refused, not wanting me to sacrifice my time to care for them as they age, especially in situations like managing incontinence or other age-related challenges. My wife is Chinese, and our daughter, who was born and raised in China, has a strong Chinese mindset. Although she speaks English, Mandarin is her first language, and she feels more Chinese than British. She has even expressed her desire to obtain Chinese nationality when she turns 18. Given her cultural background, it’s no surprise that she wants to care for me when I’m old. However, now that I have a child, I understand my parents' perspective. I would never want my daughter to take on the burden of caring for me as I age and become dependent. In China, one of the core reasons for having children is to ensure they will care for you in old age. To me, the idea that one of the main motivations for starting a family would be to secure a caregiver for my later years is simply unthinkable.

[reuby]

This will be the fate of majority of countries all over the world

[ingenuity]

In the future, the single elderly should go to nursing homes with their single friends so they will have friends inside the nursing homes.

[jasonpan]

In 1985, "It is good to have only one child, and the Government will do the old age care ";
In 1995, "It is good to have only one child, and the Government will help with old age";
In 2005, "You can't rely on the government for your old age";
In 2012, "It is better to postpone retirement and take care of your own old age";
In 2015, "liberalize the birth of two children".
In 2021, "the policy that a couple can have three children will be implemented".

[pinkpotatoes]

Asian people often misunderstand the role of nursing homes. Its not all about filiel piety. Can one lay person do the job of an OT, PT, GP, Nurse, pathologist, Chef, Podiatrist, hair dresser, cleaning all in the house without driving the elderly to mulitple appointments? Well a nursing home is a semi-hospital that does all that so the elderly does not need to be driven everywhere to get these services separately. Anyone who thinks they can do all that by themselves is just ignorant. I am Chinese and I have had to learn the hard way that I cannot do everything myself, nor do I have the expertise to do all of the above. I am still doing something everyday for my loved one- calling her, visiting her interstate, paying her bills, doing her tax, shopping and sending things to her. It never ends.

[LawrenceWank]

There is nothing wrong or not filial about sending your elder folks to the old folks home. Old folks home is a professional setting with professional caregiver. Elders can get better quality care at a nursing home.

[tigerlily]

We are having the same issues here in Singapore. The fertility rate for China in 2023 was 1.705 births per woman. The current fertility rate for Singapore is 1.250 births per woman. So we are having it worst.

[ericzy]

As one of the products of one child policy implmented decades ago, I am already feeling the pain to come. I have to look after my parents but at the same time I also put great effort to make sure that there is nothing wrong with my current job. So frusatrated.

[ThinkTalkListen]

Sg nursing homes are no different cos we sent in my father in law and its like a prison with regimented life. Within 6mths, his condition worsen so bad and after more than a year, he passed away. Paid so much for nothing other than worries and frustrations.

[wl]

The big issue will be the 40 million extra men who cant get wives, no kids, when they get old, since they are rural hukou, they dont have benefits in the city, they will have a hard time in the villages getting old. Unless the Chinese government include them in nursing homes in the cities with food, healthcare, they are screwed.

[brianlee]

Filial is by doing what parents want and expects of you. N not to embarrass your family😂 especially when they constantly need to brag n compare. Well, These parents don't see you as a unique individual to pursue your own life choices and goals by providing a nurturing upbring (not manipulative)but as someone they expect you to be or fulfil their expectations. This is toxic culture and mindset. Living a life you choose is not unfilial. Toxic parenting disguises as social or cultural norm.

[nokiasaja]

IN TAIWAN :80% elderly people are taken care by Indonesian women nurses.

[desmondkwang]

Parents have to provide for their own retirement. Government has to make sure they have access to foreign labour to keep costs low. Do not rely on the children who has to provide for their own old-age.

[arclet]

1 man could support a whole family back then. If that was still the case today then this wouldnt be an issue. Now instead people are jobless...

[odyssey]

One critical point people missed is the older generations came from poor families. All the money earned went to feed the family, let alone saving up for the retirement. Nowadays, the younger generations have more earning power, and their children will not have so much stress supporting the parents. Chinese people should know the Chinese government's difficulties in tackling this huge problem with a large aging population. It is not about filial piety. It is simply the duties of the children (don't disgruntle) who were given the opportunities to gain a better life to look after the parents. Hopefully, in the future, the younger generations will see this problem lessened with efficient retirement schemes.

[pearlyung]

Its the government to look after. Kids did not ask to be born. The young are jobless, full of debts, facing bankruptcy. Blame the government that has lousy policy and dont know how to plan. There are more issues other than to be slaves to old people and their problems.