News China 02

The challenge of the third age in China
By Cesar Chelala (China Daily)

Beijing, 23/03/2012 (the village online) - China faces the challenge of a rapidly aging population. This happens at a time in which the urbanization and industrialization are accelerating. At the same time the traditional family support networks are weakening, particularly for the elderly, and new policies are needed to deal with this situation. 

 

At the end of the 1970s, China has adopted the policy of family planning to limit the rapid population growth and ensure economic stability. As a result, fewer children with better living conditions, the proportion of elderly in the population has increased substantially and will continue to grow in the coming years. According to a study of the Foundation of the development of the aging of China, by 2050, 31% of the country's population will be age 60 or older.

 

The situation presents problems, but also unique opportunities. The leading countries of this century will be those who know how to give more power to their elders, so that they are active participants in economic growth, rather than treat them as dependents and the disabled. This has been called 'active ageing'. 

 

The International Monetary Fund predicted that china's economy will surpass that of us.UU. in real terms in 2016, but, despite this, one of the biggest fears of China is that the country ages before get rich.

 

The situation of the elderly in China will get worse as the social security Fund faces major challenges to pay pensions to a growing number of retirees and there is a lot of retirees with pensions that hardly allow them to meet their basic needs. Not to mention elderly farmers who are not covered by the pension system, while most of their adult children point to the cities for work. 

 

Although a law was passed in 1996, which became a legal obligation of caring for the elders of the family, will be a great challenge to the one-child couples take care of their elders in the future. 

 

According to some estimates, 98 percent of the elderly in China remain in their homes, or try to do it. Many left alone in "empty nests", while their children migrate to the cities to work or start their own families in homes of "a single generation".

 

And, as china's population is aging rapidly, the labor force is declining. This can impair not only the development of the country, but also the quality of life of its older citizens, since young people will have more difficulties to keep their elders. It is estimated that over the next few decades the proportion of elderly people of working age-dependent increase 10% in 2012 to 40% for the year 2050. 

 

As the number of carers does not follow the rhythm of the growing population of older people, more elderly people, particularly those with poor health, seek care in specialized institutions. Meanwhile, it will also increase the proportion of older people suffering from diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and other types of dementia. It has been estimated the total cost for the treatment of these diseases could reach almost 9% of the GDP of China in the year 2025.

 

The Government has responded to the challenge of caring for the elderly through the construction of more homes for the elderly. However, most of these homes are located in big cities, and their quality varies considerably. In addition, only provide basic health care and services, and most lacking in social workers. 

 

As things stand now, the Chinese Government has to devise new strategies to deal with the demographic challenge of a rapidly aging population. It is necessary to improve and expand the system of social security for urban and rural areas, improve the supervision of institutions of social welfare and the special needs of elderly people, both in their physical health, and mental. The health system also will have to address the burden of an older population.

 

At the same time, it is essential to improve the training of social workers through special courses which teach them to understand and deal with the needs of older persons. Taking into account that the average life expectancy is currently 73-year-old, would also be important to increase the age of retirement, that today is 60 for men and 50 for women. How the Government will respond to this challenge will be a sample of the kind of society that China intends to build in the future.