FAMILY PERSPECTIVE OF ELDERLY CARE IN URBAN CHINA -a literature study

ABSTRACT The aging population is increasing so fast in urban China that it has become a serious problem. It is a big challenge for Chinese society to care for the older people since, under the One Child Policy, the family structure has been changed. The aim of the study in this paper is to describe family members' perceptions and attitudes, including the older people's, towards the present and future elderly care in urban China. The main method that the author used is literature review, the use of every article's result section to do the qualitative, manifest content analysis. The results are presented as six main categories; Traditional responsibility in Chinese elderly care; Family's financial ability and societal financing of care; "Xiao" in the form of emotional support, respect and protection; Physical proximity and intergenerational interaction important; Pressure and strain due to elderly care responsibilities; LTC (Long Term Care) institutions provide for the care needs of elders; The traditional Chinese tradition of taking care of the elderly family members is still strong in China. However, there is an increasing pressure on the working family members to earn enough money to provide for both the younger and elder generations. Therefore the "sandwhich generation" is now looking toward new solutions in elderly care, such as putting their parents in long-term care facilities