Chinese elderlys who are living alone or disabled, especially in rural areas, can not have a good care when they are old. Their living conditions and life troubles don't receive sufficient public attention.
In a small public nursing house in a village, lived 15 elderlys who don' t have families willing to support them, and according to the director, only three of them are mentaly and physicaly healthy. Due to their disability, the common elderly care is insufficient for such group of people, because the nursing service here can only meet the demand on sustaining a basic living condition.
For now, the problems these 15 people facing with are not minority anymore. The news spokesman of Chinese Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security Li Zhong pointed that China has entered into aging society. According to a sample survey issued by Ministry of Civil Affairs, China Aging Problem National Commission and Ministry of Finance, nearly 40.63 million elder people are disabled or half-disabled in China, 18.3 percent of elder population.
This old granddad Jin Yuru, has never married anyone and had any children and lived all by himself for musch of his life. He claimed: “Before I arrived here, I lived a kind of casual life, visiting doctor on my own, and sometimes when condition is not so serious, like a cold, I would just live through it.”
Now he is suffered from hypertension and has to take a lot of different pills everyday. He can not walk out freely as he wants, because a severe dizziness prevents him making a relatively long walk. In spare time, he takes TV, radio and books as entertainments.
“I would study by reading books when I have nothing to do.” Most of his books are from volunteers’ and loving people’s donations. He stated that he’s reading Bible recently, which was given by a Christian, and has read it twice. “Only when you read it over several times, can you understand Bibel completely”, he added. Reading and smoking hand-made cigarettes, the only expense during his life in the nursing house, pertain to his two favourite things to help the time pass.
"I have thought about my future many times"
Jin said that he has imagined a lot of times, what his future would be, or if he still has a future. However, he haven't come up with any results. His brothers and sisters are a part of his memory that comes to his mind most frequently. It could be the happiest time of his entire life. Talking about his life in nursing house, he expresses that he feels a little bit lonely, because most of the elderlys there are demented and unable to communicate with him normally.
Actually, people who were born in or before 1950s still remain a traditional mind, for them, children and family are the source of their hope and courage. For this reason, the old people who do not have family staying with them are easier to lose their life directions and meaning to live.
A 87-year-old grandma who also lives in this nursing house is disabled and can only stay in her bed all the time. A few years ago, she was paralyzed from the waist down after she fell off in her niece's home. She has married three times, her husbands all dead and didn't have a single child. H er relatives were reluctant to look after her, so she was sent to this house. For her, the most precious thing is concern from other people. Therefore, the most exciting moment is when she gets a visitor, eveytime when someone comes to see her, she would say thanks without a break.
As a result of few money and manpower, the living conditions of people in the rural public nursing house are worse than private nursing houses and those in cities. Especially for the demented and disabled old people who can not take care of themselves like other healty elderlys. They really need more care and concern.
