Private vs public – who will care for China’s elderly?
- Government-run nursing homes are affordable but applicants face long waiting lists
- Authorities are hoping private players can bridge the gap but conditions and prices vary widely
The biggest thing Chinese retired electrical worker Zhang Guancheng misses is being able to wander around parks and chat with his old friends.
Since the 83-year-old widower moved into a nursing home in Wuxi, in the eastern province of Jiangsu three years ago, Zhang has had to surrender that simple pleasure.
“Life here is scheduled. They make sure I don’t hurt or die, but no one cares much whether I am happy or, most of the time, lonely,” he said.
Zhang had a stroke in 2018 and his only child, son Zhang Hu, was worried that his father would not be able to look after himself living alone.
“He had difficulty dressing himself and cooking after the stroke,” Zhang Hu said. “My wife and I both have to work and there is no one there keeping an eye on him. What if he fell? What if he had another stroke?”
A nursing home seemed to be the best option so Zhang Guancheng moved into the private facility, sharing a room with two others – one paralysed and the other unable to eat on his own.
In one sense, the family is fortunate. Places in nursing homes are few and far between, and private facilities can be expensive.
