Providing for Elderly Care in China. Current Challenges and Future Trends

Abstract

Worldwide demographic transformations occurring in the 21st century entail, among others, the main aspect of population ageing, process bringing about economic, social and political implications and challenges which have been gaining growing attention in recent years. If developed Western countries have experienced this process over a reasonably extended period of time and, consequently, thanks to their favorable economic conditions as well, have had the opportunity of adequately dealing with it in terms of care support provided to elders, for China, the situation has been totally different and more arduous. In fact, due to political, economic, social and cultural factors peculiar to this country, China found itself to cope with an ageing population by means of a limited amount of resources and an inadequate care regime bound to the deep-rooted traditional culture determined by Confucianism. Following the description of the above said factors, this thesis will assert that developments in the system of institutional support to elders in respect of social and long term care have been achieved recently; nevertheless, challenges still hindering the success of such system can be overcome only if positive and effective models and trends lately emerged are pursued in the future on a national basis. A conclusive chapter showing the state of affairs of aged care in the ultra ageing Chinese city of Suzhou will be employed as a demonstration of the findings illustrated in the previous sections.