Basic eldercare is a government obligation

THE STATE COUNCIL, China's Cabinet, recently issued guidelines on care services for the elderly. Based on the needs of senior citizens, the document sets out principles for the eldercare industry, as well as the welfare the elderly should enjoy, ranging from basic services, public facilities, to health and cultural services. Beijing Youth Daily comments:

By the end of 2015, China's empty nest elderly exceeded 110 million people, and by 2050 the total number of the elderly in the country is expected to reach 500 million, close to the total population of all the countries in Europe.

Some of the measures the document lists, if implemented, will help senior citizens a lot. For example, it said that all the elderly from poor families will get a minimum living allowance, while everyone aged 65 or above will get a free health examination every year.