China's aging population spurs rise of new caring professions

BEIJING, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- On a warm afternoon, caregiver Zhang Bo arrived at the home of an elderly man, checked his vital signs, and wheeled him to the bathroom for a soothing bath.

"I checked his blood pressure, temperature and blood oxygen levels to ensure it was safe for him to bathe. I also took precautions by implementing fall prevention measures in the bathroom," said Zhang, a caregiver from Jiurucheng Elderly Care Service Co., Ltd., in Hongya County in southwest China's Sichuan Province.

Zhang makes a world of difference for the 76-year-old man, who has been partially paralyzed and bedridden for years.

"Taking a bath has become increasingly challenging for me. I'm deeply grateful for his help," said the old man surnamed Liu, his voice filled with a sense of relief.

NEW PROFESSIONS

With the number of elderly people rising, China is witnessing the rise of new professions in the expanding elderly care sector. Among them is the elderly bathing assistant, which was recently added to the country's list of officially recognized occupations.

China, like many other nations, is undergoing a demographic shift. By the end of 2023, the population aged 60 or above had reached 297 million, including 217 million people aged 65 or above, which accounted for 15.4 percent of the total population.

Surveys indicate that over 90 percent of elderly people in China prefer to receive care at home. To meet this demand, the company that Zhang works with launched its home-service department in June last year and now handles 60 to 70 orders daily.

Services range from meal delivery and daytime care to bathing assistance, shopping help, haircuts and even birthday planning for seniors, according to Wang Dongmei, the company's nursing director.

"The demand is strong," Wang said, adding that the number of caregivers in the home-service department has increased from three to over 20.

Innovative services like medical escorts, elderly ability assessors and healthcare specialists are also gaining traction across China. In Shanghai, one of the country's most aged cities, Huang Li serves as an elderly care advisor in a subdistrict, providing on-site and phone consultations for seniors.

"My job involves listening to and analyzing the needs of the elderly, explaining care policies, and recommending suitable services for them," said Huang.

Li Honghui, an official at the municipal civil affairs bureau of Changsha in central China, said that the emergence of these new roles marks a trend toward greater specialization in elderly care.

He emphasized the urgent need to establish or refine standards for these new professions as it's crucial for the training and career development of caregivers.

TALENT SHORTAGES

Despite the growing demand for elderly care services, China faces a critical shortage of health and social care workers. This shortage is exacerbated by the low social status, inadequate training and poor income associated with caregiving roles.

In January, Shanghai identified elderly care workers as a key profession in urgent demand. By the end of 2023, the economic hub had 5.68 million residents aged 60 and above, making up 37.4 percent of the registered population. Yet, with only about 60,000 elderly care workers, the city faces a significant shortfall.

"The current workforce in elderly care is predominantly composed of middle-aged and older individuals, with relatively few younger people entering the field," said Wu Yushao, deputy dean of the Fudan Institute of Ageing, adding there is also a shortage of professional caregivers and managers in the elderly care industry.

Experts urge collaborative efforts to help enhance the skills of caregivers, integrate more medical courses into elderly care programs at higher-education institutions, and boost incentives and social recognition to attract more young people to the field.

In east China's Shandong Province, 231 institutions of higher learning offer programs integrating medical and elderly care, with 330,000 students currently enrolled in these programs.

"An aging society is both a challenge and an opportunity for employment," said Chen Qi, head of the social welfare center of Tianxin District in Changsha. "It has created new job opportunities and boosted the silver economy."

Statistics show that the value of China's silver economy now stands at around 7 trillion yuan (about 980.19 billion U.S. dollars). It is expected to reach around 30 trillion yuan by 2035.