Caring for the elderly key component of prosperity
No society can achieve prosperity and provide everyone the opportunity for a good life without taking care of the less fortunate, many of whom are elderly. In a recent visit to areas around East China’s Jiangsu province, I got a chance to see different ways China is providing for its urban and rural elderly people.
The farmers of Donglin village, 4 miles from Chengxiang town of Taicang, a county-level city of Suzhou, were relocated to centralized apartments starting in 2010. They leased their land to the government, which is able to farm more efficiently and with much better technology than would be possible on small individual plots.
Chen Yaoming, an 81-year old-retired farmer and civil servant, says the conditions now are much better than before. Before relocation, they were far from town and the road was so narrow and winding that it took 30 minutes to get there by bicycle. No cars could access the village. But now, there are good roads and cars.
“Before relocation, it was difficult to live a good life,” Chen said.
In exchange for leasing their land, each farmer gets a dividend payment of 1,800 yuan ($270) a month, plus their health insurance is paid for, and maintenance fees for the apartments and common land are covered.
The living conditions will make urban dwellers envious. Each relocated family was able to buy three apartments of 969 square feet each. So, each farm family has 2,906 sq ft of living space in the new apartments.
We also visited Yunlin Life Apartments for the elderly in Wuxi. These apartments are designed to be easy for older people to use — doors are wider, bathrooms are accessible, and the signs help people with memory loss to find their own apartment.
Most importantly, Yunlin Life follows a philosophy developed in the Netherlands that stresses the importance of elder care facilities focusing on happiness. More broadly, the economic strategy of ensuring good jobs are available makes it possible for younger people to remain near their families, so older people have the love and support of several generations.