This cartoon shows pressure of elderly care in China. (Photo: China Youth Daily/Wang Nailing)
(ECNS) -- More than half of the respondents in a recent survey said they were willing to provide full-time care for their elderly parents if the government helps pay for it, China Youth Daily reported on Friday.
Beijing is mulling a subsidy program this year to encourage citizens to do so, according to the report. The policy would target seniors who have lost the ability to live on their own and those who suffer from dementia, it said.
In a joint survey of 8,919 people conducted by the newspaper and Sohu.com, 84.4 percent said they are interested in the program, while 56.9 percent expressed willingness to stay home and take care of their elderly parents on government subsidies.
A previous report by Beijing Daily said that Beijing has nearly 600,000 elderly citizens who have partially or fully lost the ability to live independently, while there are only 15,000 professional caregivers in the city.
A forum held in 2009 said China was in need of 10 million caregivers for the elderly, while the country's elderly care services only have 220,000 staff members, with less than 10 percent of those having the necessary qualifications.
The survey shows that 97.8 percent of the respondents complained about the high cost of hiring nannies or caregivers. While 56.9 percent expressed a willingness to return home to give full-time care to their parents, 34.7 percent said whether they would quit their jobs depends on the amount of the subsidies.
As to the source of funding, 68.3 percent suggested that the existing social security program should cover such costs, and 14.9 percent said participants should pay extra.
