[Post 452] 'They’re Not Filial': China's Eldercare Problem And Nursing Home Stigma | Insight | Full Episode

Summary

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?