Overcoming the 'paralyzed family' trap

'Too weak to care'

In Jiangsu province's Suzhou, a pilot city since 2017, the program has already transformed daily life for thousands of families. The city has gone further than the national standard by including moderately disabled people — not just those with severe disabilities — a model that authorities hope to replicate nationwide.

Zhang Jian, 70, cares for his 96-year-old father, who has advanced Alzheimer's disease and can barely walk. Before long-term care insurance, Zhang and his sister juggled supervision 24-7, often canceling social engagements and sometimes losing patience.

"Bathing him required two people — me and my brother-in-law," Zhang said. "Friends kept inviting me out, but I had to say 'no' every time. I felt stuck at home, sometimes irritable. But you think: everyone gets old. It's our duty."

Since July 2025, a certified carer from Shanghai-headquartered provider Fortune Care has been at Zhang's home every morning from 8:30 to 10:30 — a time chosen because his father is most alert after waking. The carer measures the father's blood pressure, sends the readings by text message, massages the elderly man, helps him walk or sit outside in a wheelchair, and even manually removes feces when necessary.

"The carer does things even we children are reluctant to do," Zhang said. "I saw her put on gloves and help my father with his bowel movement without any hesitation. I was deeply grateful."

Zhang pays only 2.5 yuan per hour, or 5 yuan for each two-hour session — a fraction of the market rate. For moderately disabled care recipients like his father, the plan covers 13 home visits per month (18 for severe disability). Suzhou goes even further for people with dementia or intellectual disabilities, extending visits to 2.5 hours each because such cases require more time and patience.

Dong Hui is head of Puyuan Care Group, a nationwide long-term care provider operating in 46 cities with nearly 200 service stations and more than 6,000 carers serving 30,000 families.

She said the insurance solves three core problems of families: those who don't know how to care, have no time to care, or are physically too weak to care.

Professional carers, she said, use proper techniques for bed-to-chair transfers, bathing, and pressure-sore prevention — while also training family members while on the job.

"Before long-term care insurance, families had to choose between filial piety and earning a living," Dong said. "Now they have backup — a real safety net."