A Study of Elderly Care and the Well-being of the Elderly in China

Peiyun She, University of California, Berkeley

This paper examines the relationship between family support and the well-being of the elderly in China, based on a national survey conducted by China Research Center on Aging in 1992. It shows that for the elderly with difficulties in ADLs, spouses and daughters (or daughters-in-law) are the main caregivers. The results of the logistic and OLS regressions show children's central role in contributing to elderly parents' well-being. The elderly with more children have a higher incidence of material transfers from children, and are associated with more household possessions and higher levels of life satisfaction. However, these effects are relatively small, and regional differences are apparent. Children are a much more important source of financial support for the rural elderly than for the urban elderly. This study also suggests that the negative impact of fertility decline on the family support mechanisms might be overstated.