Care for the elderly worthy of attention

AN OLD PEOPLE'S NURSING home in Suzhou, East China's Jiangsu province, has sought to encourage children to visit their aged parents by offering them 200 yuan ($29) coupons to pay for nursing services if they make at least 30 visits to their parents every two months. The idea is well-intentioned but is unlikely to work in the long run, Chinese Business View commented on Monday.

According to the nursing home, the coupon policy works well for some. But policymakers should be aware that most children treat their parents well. It is not that they do not want to see their parents, but the difficulty they have in finding the time. Especially as many are an only child and they may live and work in places far away from their parents.

In most cases, the elderly parents want to see their children, and the young people would like to see their parents, too.