Beijing, May 22 (BNA): China has directed all provinces to build a basic elderly care system by 2025, Xinhua reported Sunday, in the latest move to prevent a demographic crisis.
Who cares for the elderly in China, where pensions are meager, is one of the main problems for policymakers as they deal with the country’s first demographic decline since Mao Zedong’s Cultural Revolution, Reuters reports.
The ruling Communist Party has mobilized resources to ensure that the most vulnerable age groups are taken care of as society ages.
In 2020, citizens aged 65 and over accounted for 13.5% of China’s population, compared to the 8.87% recorded in 2010.
“Strengthening the construction of a basic elderly care service system is an important task to implement the national strategy to effectively respond to population aging and achieve parity of basic public services,” Xinhua said.
She said the guidelines require all provinces to implement a list of essential aged care services, based on factors such as level of economic and social development and financial situation.
Services included material assistance, nursing and caregiving, while all provinces must provide visitation and care services for elderly people living alone and for families in financial difficulty.
MI