Title: Ageing under the one-child policy: long-term care needs and policy choices in urban China

Authors: Vivian W.Q. Lou; QinYing Ci

Addresses: Department of Social Work and Social Administration, Sau Po Centre on Aging, The University of Hong Kong Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong ' Department of Sociology, Wuhan University, Luo Jia Shan, Wuchang, Wuhan, Hubei Province, 430072, China

Abstract: China contains one-fifth of the world's ageing population. It has been estimated that a total number of 33 million older adults have suffered activities of daily living (ADL) deficits, which consists of about 19% of the total ageing population. To date, a national long-term care policy is not in place. This paper identifies and discusses key historical and contextual factors that affect long-term care policy development, including the one-child policy, cultural values toward family care, and the unbalanced development of health and social care. We show how two long-term care models developed in Beijing and Shanghai set a desirable benchmark for a balanced development of community-based and residential care. However, there is no consensus on key criteria that should be considered on needs assessment. Finally, we argue that a needs assessment including health, finances, and family aspects of needs, instead of age, should be considered in policy development.

Keywords: urban China; long-term care; needs assessment; one-child policy; family care; care needs; policy choices; ageing; community-based care; residential care; needs assessment.

DOI: 10.1504/IJPP.2014.063095

International Journal of Public Policy, 2014 Vol.10 No.4/5, pp.231 - 242

Published online: 19 Jul 2014 *

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