Family care-giving in rural China

What is it about?

The paper looks at family care-giving (or the absence thereof) to rural Chinese elders in three different living arrangements: with any child or child-in-law (co-resident); independent with at least one child living in the same community (networked); and without any children in either the household or the community (isolated). The findings suggest that married parents are mostly cared for by their spouse, even if they co-reside with adult children. Proximity to children is particularly important for single elders, who are more likely to lack a caregiver when living independently.

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Why is it important?

This is the first study to provide a stocktaking of the primary care-givers of older adults in (rural) China. It challenges two commonly held perceptions on care-giving practices in rural China: 1) the idea that children are the predominant source of care for older people and 2) the idea that 'networked' families are functional equivalent to co-residence in terms of care-giving.