Is China Ready to be Old? | Foreign Correspondent

An intimate and moving story of families stretched to the limit. In China, as people live longer, dementia is on the rise. With few government services, ordinary people are sacrificing everything to care for their own. Subscribe: ab.co/3yqPOZ5
Zhen remembers her wedding day well. When her father gave his speech, he urged her to have two children. But now Zhen is unsure whether she even wants to have one.
Not long after her wedding, Zhen’s father Liang was diagnosed with dementia. He was in his 50s. Now Zhen and her mother are caring for Liang full time. And Zhen doesn’t want to impose that burden on her children.
“The way I see it,” Zhen explains, “without kids, if I develop the same condition as my dad, with what I know now, I can just send myself off to a nursing home and it’s done. I won’t put any extra pressure on my kids, and they won’t have to endure any depression or anything like that.”
It’s a problem many families in China are grappling with. As the population ages, dementia is on the rise. But there’s little awareness of the disease and few services.
In China more than 96% of people with the condition are looked after by their families. The obligation to care for your elders is deeply rooted in Chinese culture.
“That’s probably the traditional Chinese concept of filial piety, but the reality is you can’t fulfill your duty,” says Zhen.
ABC reporter Lydia Feng presents this intimate and moving program about China’s hidden epidemic.
Working with local filmmakers, we take you inside three families stretched to the limit as they do their best to look after a loved one with dementia.
We meet a widow and her daughter living in the countryside, where there are even fewer services for the elderly and their families.
We spend time with a blind couple in Beijing, where despite all hardships, Uncle Xing is still utterly devoted to his wife of nearly 50 years.
“I’ve looked after only one woman my whole life. She needs special care,” says Uncle Xing. “I feel bad if she suffers.”
“We’re not ready. We’re not even prepared for the challenge of aged care as a whole, let alone dementia care.” says social worker Wang Shihong, whose organisation helps support the elderly.
Shihong believes the public needs to be educated about the problem.
“The symptoms are showing up but they’re not taken as something that needs medical attention,” she says. “If it can be spotted early in its development, through screening for example, more can be done to slow the patient’s deterioration before it’s too late.”
This film is a rare insight into the struggle of ordinary families in China to deal with a debilitating but little understood condition.
Read more here: ab.co/3q0sc8k
About Foreign Correspondent:
Foreign Correspondent is the prime-time international public affairs program on Australia's national broadcaster, ABC-TV. We produce half-hour duration in-depth reports for broadcast across the ABC's television channels and digital platforms. Since 1992, our teams have journeyed to more than 170 countries to report on war, natural calamity and social and political upheaval - through the eyes of the people at the heart of it all.
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[@editorjohn8803]

This is the kind of documentary we need more of... real, meaningful, and unadulterated by sensationalism and opinion

[@T61APL89]

DW, France24, CBC, SBS, Channel 4, The Guardian, CNA and Financial Times make good docs too!

[@BLKBRDD]

28:46 That was one of the most beautifully shot and edited sequences I've ever seen in a documentary. Massive kudos to the filmmakers involved in this.

[@chuckygobyebye]

Yes, the whole report is really, really well done. Subjects are excellent, the report is well paced and explained. Very depressing though. China's going over this massive demographic hump and really doesn't seem to be equipped to deal with it. For all the problems that we have with aged care in Australia, and they are legion, at least there is a system.

[@ky-effect2717]

Almost speechless, there's so much I can identify with and also so much I learned. In the end I pray for peace and for those who have needs will find true mercy in their lives.

[@omarmacintyre]

A very moving and insightful report. Well done Foreign Correspondent and ABC.

[@adoredpariah]

My mother has worked for Silver Chain (nursing home) here in Australia for nearly 20 years and gets paid less than I did when I was working at a kebab shop. She has at times also expressed the feeling that she would rather die than be put into a nursing home.

[@resolecca]

The way the patients are treated I completely understand your mums pov, I wish we could go back to looking after your own family it's much better

[@adoredpariah]

@@resolecca While that would be more personalised there are issues with home care too, particularly when it comes to specialised care. Personally I think we need to better subsidise and regulate aged care. We as a society should eat those costs happily knowing that it will likely be us in those unenviable positions in nursing homes one day.

[@locuus7]

@@adoredpariah considering our rapidly aging and long living population we are going to have to have a major shift. I really like the approach in I think its the Netherlands, where students get free rent for the living in blocks that contain both the elderly and students. A certain amount of time per week must be allotted to spending time with the aged. The noted changes in students outlooks, and the resulting new communities I think is fantastic

[@adoredpariah]

@@locuus7 That's an interesting idea I had not heard of, seems like it could have a lot of merit.

[@karalg1951]

I can very much relate to your mum. It is a sad indictment of the Aged Care system that allowed for the funding system to be managed by the racf owners who may never have worked in the nursing home, hostel or dementia care units. There used to be a direction of the funding allocation being used for the nurses and personal care staff wages, cleaning and washing clothes and folding laundry and also cooking was done in their big kitchens with every area of care being met by the funds to be specifically for the nursing home staffing ratios, the food , the laundering, activities and a physiotherapist in duty was the normal routine way back to the 1980's until the racfs got the funding from their own assessments with a physiotherapy session weekly to fortnightly and my mum nursed in Aged CARE for 20+yrs and was trained to work with the Physiotherapist to do Hydrotherapy and when l started in aged care it was wonderful to see the hydrotherapy session and learn how to do the gentle exercises in the water for elderly with severe joint conditions or osteoporosis, osteoarthritis and the water was so warm and was such a relief and when you get funding that has to be used in a specific way instead of the big lump amount to self allocate and then charge more through the aged pension for medications, extra activities, Music therapy weekly and my mum trained with Alzheimer's Victoria and trained to run a little support group to remember when and each week a theme, topic to trigger memories of their earlier years right back to childhood and the types of recipes they may have helped their mums, grandmas with if you were celebrating Christmas, Easter, Birthdays, Engagements etc and my mum would sometimes be able to share the memories and having lots of fun with everyone sharing and the smell of pancakes or pullets wafting through the nursing home and the group would then have their afternoon tea in the matching tea cups, saucers and plates and have a cuppa, pullets with jam and cream or maple syrup or honey and to be able to see the memories flowing was just a beautiful and rewarding to see l think it was known as validation therapy. If you attended and worked with experienced registered and enrolled nurses you soon learned to have a toolkit of strategies for approaching anyone who wanted to go home or was waiting for mum at school or worried about getting home to get dinner started and instead of the no your mother is dead or died which could trigger the emotional and physical aggression and dysregulation as it was always like them finding out for the first time and then repeating X 10-50 answers to the same question,s it was very comforting to know that when you had registered and enrolled nurses with a few nursing attendants, Personal carers that the level of care, knowledge of when someone looking out acting differently than other days and the nurses would be awesome to start thinking about the whole person and how was their diet, fluid intake, were they going to the toilet more frequently or not able to recognise , sense the bladder and you could have the nurse think to check and so a urinalysis test to check for a urine, bladder infection, incontinence etc and notify doctors, instigate a continence diary to see when, how much, colour, odour and other aspects to share the diary then for when the Dr came in and then we would order the correct products for the individual. I enjoyed the before and after lunch walks to keep elderly moving and even the odd manicure, nail polish or aromatherapy and hand massages, outside in the gardens for a wheelchair ride around, pick the occasional flower to take back to their bedrooms. But once they got the funding per person based on the higher or lower or less complex needs funding of the person with Alzheimer's disease that was upset, trying to get home etc and then you stood in their way or another trigger like repeating the same thing about the mum or dad or even a sibling or child being sick or dead and the time, year well that was it, and a good morning could turn into a bad evening with untrained, ill equipped or new or agency staff it is no wonder that the quality of care reduced with the accountability for staffing wages, food etc over profiteering by reducing nursing staff ratios, cutting shift lengths, cutting therapies and have an activities coordinator employed who could never possibly get to spend time doing all the varied interests of the individual and would also have to organise to split time writing the notes on each person's lifestyle and leisure activities for the week taking into account that the more mobile elderly would actually take more time to care for as they were often not confined to bed it's specialised chair if they had a stroke, paralysis and other ageing and disease conditions that render you confined to bed and non ambulant , using lifting equipment and maybe not impacted by dementia and Alzheimer's disease and this idea that one person costs less to look after if they can walk assisted, with our encouraging words as opposed to wheeling them around and that it can take alot longer to assist, supervision of personal care, the dressing assistance and help to pick out the clothing items they want and more time to help them to be as independent as possible with varying degrees of support. Aged Care assistance. The nurses, carers who have worked in the homes now the challenges and that you are a number and you have to wait until the carers can physically get to you... Imagine if you need to get up and go to the toilet and you only have an best 1-2minutes from your brain getting the message to your bladder starting and for women who have had children, prolapses and incontinence is so common but you ring your buzzer for help....you wait, you can't get up on your own and you end up sitting in your chair on in your bed after a little nap and your clothes and chair, bed are wet. It is a horrible feeling. For some people that have tried to get up and then had a fall and broken their hip, leg, knee from the quick walk to the toilet and the slip in urine and voila a fall. It is bad enough being a patient in hospital as a nurse, you know how difficult it is to be in 10 places at once but when you are experiencing it although you know that the staff are busy but you still need to have pain relieved or overdue for a timed medication or feel unwell etc... All the care systems to support all humans need to be rethought and habits unbroken and changed. Care,trail Quality, Respect, Dignity....hmmmmmm, that is why my mum and even l have and would say l am never ever ending up in aged care. It is not your home and the staffing levels, activities or choice to be quietly enjoying your books, music or a hobby in your room as isolating and unsociable. Everyone has the right to fully supported care options as not everyone can care for a parent , relative 24/7 with such attention and no respite because you feel guilty about leaving them or you have no money to pay a facility to do respite care or their is not any of enough carer respite options where you live regional or metro in most places in the world. Caring for another human is a special role to fulfill and some people just can't do it. So there has to be options and funding. Great insight from you @ Foreign Correspondant.

[@Rpa-48]

Bless that beautiful old couple, their story brought me to tears.

[@wawobear]

Absolutely heartbreaking stories so beautifully captured. Thanks for reminding us that on a human level, the pain we experience with growing old and the love we have for each other is the same across all cultures.

[@kfc6495]

your brainwashed by our political agenda

[@laetitialogan2017]

Please remember that dementia patients can get aggressive and argumentative and adult children find themselves in an impossible situation. Also, the patients will speak "down" to an adult child of theirs, but clever enough not to speak to others. They want to drive their vehicles while having a 2 minute memory. Nobody "wants" their parent in a carehome..but sometimes it truly is the safest option..

[@NickanM]

Not to mention both types of incontinence that comes in the later stages. 😔 Changing diapers on a potentially aggressive or scared dementia sufferer isn't easy.

[@laetitialogan2017]

@@NickanM oh yes indeed..I went to visir my own mother in care carehome yesterday...you can only imagine..

[@NickanM]

@@laetitialogan2017 I am so sorry. I lost my grandfather to alzheimers. Grandma took care of him for way to long, until he almost burned their house down. It was hell. Pure hell. Thank God for nursing / care homes. He didn't recognize ANYONE of us & peed on himself frequently when he finally got admitted.

[@andyfire9334]

This is just so real and meaningful. Life is so fast at the start and then it slows down a little before getting fast again. Its a cycle we can't yet reverse maybe in the future we will reach that point. But for now we can just live our lives to the fullest so when our end comes near we can say we didn't have much regrets

[@CallieFigueroa76]

I cried at the end I hope they're still together

[@ronaldkable]

Excellent social worker, a model practitioner 👍🏼

[@cherylross393]

We are all united with life's problems that's for sure all cultures

[@MmmDe]

This video is so real. My grandpa who had dementia died of covid last year. Grandma died just a year before. My grandpa must've missed grandma so much. The old couple in this video is just like my late grandma and grandpa when they were alive. They loved each other so much. Married for 70 years. 9 kids. 28 grandchildren. 6 great grandchildren. As I see this I'm thinking when I get old and have dementia I'll probably choose to end my life early so I won't trouble my children financially. I would want my children to have a good life. And when I watch this I feel like if it's so important to run after so much money. What will riches mean when we get so sick like this?

[@chuckygobyebye]

Absolutely heartbreaking.

[@theIdlecrane]

China was running out of kids in the 90s, and now well and truely running out of adults. Did you notice in all the videos there were no young people? only 1, against how many whom are old or aging?

[@redbutterfly88]

Its not just a chinese thing to take care of elders at home but a very asian culture. We respect them, we treat them with dignity and respect. The matriarch of the family. family whtake care of their elders at home personally wether afford or not it should be at home or else. We have home for elders but only if the elders have no single relatives.

[@tubester4567]

The whole world was like that for most of history because there was no other choice. The other thing to remember is for most of history people died young around 50-60. So most people worked until they died. At worst families only needed to provide care for a few years. Today, There is a new issue with people living much longer life spans because of modern medicine and better living standards. So a retired aged person might need 30+ years of aged care. Its a problem the world hasnt faced before

[@pearlyung]

No more. Many are overseas and their excuse is work.

[@minyoung823]

In my country we have this expectation really that when a person gets old he/she returns to being a child bec as the body deteriorates with age so does the brain. So dementia in old people is no big deal, as we already expected it. Thus, the immediate and extended family are expected to take care of any old family member. But guess this is getting difficult in China with their one child policy. Having a big family is a big plus in taking care of old members, especially having lots of grandchildren. I and my siblings grew up taking care of my grandma's sister during middle school. When we went to college she lived with our aunt who had younger children. The old family member might get passed around between family members but this too is expected bec sometimes it also creates animosity between family members when only one is shouldering all the burden/responsibility.

[@CarolPrice4p]

Thank you for a very touching documentary. 😊I like the lettering on the tee-shirt : LXHCAT 😉 Does it mean anything in any language, i wonder...?

[@jamesgaskell9969]

Nasty disease. Will definitely be calling it a day fairly quickly if I'm ever diagnosed.

[@nzurimalkia6293]

I'm in total agreement!

[@eyhcci3895]

Hopefully there is a breakthrough in research and treatment

[@seeneyy]

Nice film..

[@tower222]

This video softened my heart. Seems all you see on media are the negatives and it can harden you toward a ppl and I hate that. It's such a sin when governments sit on wealth and deny love and care for the citizens. Governments spend billions on weapons of destruction. Want more land, more soldiers, more more so they can flex their power, but what cost! Just more suffering of the trusting innocent. 🙏🏻😢

[@eyhcci3895]

Unfortunately dementia is terminal, deterioration and death is absolute, the only thing you can do is slow it. Never stop it or reverse it

[@brb2939]

good to see

[@teresabish685]

I lost my mom too Alzheimer's dementia and I'll tell you what it tore my heart out it's horrible

[@christinesimpson9717]

That's so sad Welfare of mother's bless thy soul's sad bless all

[@meejinhuang]

The One Child Policy has doomed China demographically and in many other ways. Japan is also facing the same crisis.

[@nhungtran-uo2ud]

OH MY BUDDHA! May the almighty Buddha and Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva take care these people 🙏🙏🙏

[@anthonypagourelias9516]

The question should be 'Is China ready to be TOLD'...you're nearly there.

[@fannjohnson5608]

Has eny body actually investigated those lady's accusations about getting her daughter getting her killed🤔

[@cherylross393]

If we keep our faculties we are fortunate.

[@oppopp4759]

Please provide the better way to live in the future.

[@Killajmj]

Peter Zeihan has been telling everyone about this

[@lschipofisher4193]

Read the caption out loud for us that work in trucking

[@dave-o9522]

The one child policy has much to answer for, exacerbating the burden on China's young people. But unfortunately the questions will never be asked, let alone answered.

[@christinesimpson9717]

Amen

[@tk3831]

Asian countries used to have some of the most healthy old people. As technology and environmental toxins have increased, overall well-being has decreased. Profits over humanity.

[@privatemalone1358]

Did the ABC get permission of the children of these Chinese old folks with dementia before broadcasting their parents on film?

[@LadyCoyKoi]

The way things are going economically, education, technologically and politically... NO... no nation is ready for the growing number of old people. The US is definitely one of those nations that isn't ready for it... for one it has an obsession with beauty and youth that it ignores the concepts of aging as if it doesn't exist at all. Next, the way the health care system treats the sick, the old and the dying. ... horrible! 😔I faint everywhere and they can't find sh!t... I go to a herb doctor, a Santero, and he encouraged me to take more gingko and do a spiritual herb bath cleanse everyday after showering. That helped me more than going to official hospitals in so many ways. The pain behind the neck, gone. The heaviness, gone. The combo of drinking herb teas at home and the spiritual cleansing baths does wonders! The Baba told me that I am a sensitive person who carries everyones burden and because I am so compassionate I tend to absorb so much from other people that it was killing me. Another Babalawo told me to use lots of cascailla with perfume. The lack of compassion and open mindness from medical professionals will kill more people than anything else. So yeah, our societies aren't ready for a large number of aging citizens.

[@MrDevan0110]

If only they had not the one child policy , this wouldn't have happened. This is why we, as society, need to choose our choices wisely. When the harmful effects come, it may already be too late to alter it

[@kev8646]

Other bad things would have happend if the one child policy wasn't implemented like more hunger, less education etc. Also I think raising more kids so that there is more people to take care of you when you are old is a little bit selfish don't you think?

[@covenawhite4855]

@@kev8646 I think moderation is key. People who have been educated in birth control should be able to choose if they want children or not. Children require more than the basics of shelter, food, clothes, and other resources. But emotional time spent with parents, moral guidance; education in job skills, social skills, and kindness to others.

[@MrDevan0110]

@@kev8646 Those what you mentioned were caused mostly due to bad policies and wars, not overpopulation. For example, there was famine in China because the Chinese government forced the farmers to work in the steel industry. The hunger problem that occurs today is mostly caused by bad distribution and free capitalism. It is irony right that we have hunger and food waste problem at the same time? And more population will bring more workforce and innovation. History has shown human's ability to adapt. Rising kids that will take care of you when you are old is not selfish at all. Who do you think pays for the health care system that is enjoyed by the old people as well? The current workforce, and the same thing will happen when you're old. That is why most governments are scared of the low birth rate because the health care system will collapse if there's not enough workforce to support it financially, especially if there are more old people than the young ones

[@dyrectory_com]

Also look up on KZbin: China poverty alleviation. 💡

[@patmoh4204]

The middle aged, healthy people j7st looked after the frailer members of the familiy. That just is filial aspect of Chinese culture all over the world by people with Chinese heritage. Its doable!!!

[@covenawhite4855]

It is good to keep elderly family members at home where they are cared for but hiring a home nurse may help with the medical aspects of your loved ones condition and provide physical therapy. But not all people have access to home nurses or people to watch their loved ones when they are at work

[@mickgatz214]

3rd, where are the other 2 comments. 😂

[@agunvunkemjikarita3896]

Notwithstanding the economic crisis and global pandemic (lockdown) ravaging the world 🌎... multiple income streams is the best way to survive the current hardship and recession.the poor Masses needs to spend and invest wisely.

[@judithgrace9850]

Do not want to be a burden. USA needs Singaporean laws. Grow a set. Happy I moved at 79 to Querétaro. Please move folks.

[@resolecca]

Didn't know about that law just googled it, it's a good idea but no chance in getting in Australia let alone the US

[@geraldynson753]

😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

[@jojored7966]

China has done a great job on policy and pensions! But the traditional Chinese concept is: you raise me to become an adult, and I raise you to grow old. China is so big that a Chinese mayor may be responsible for a population and area equivalent to that of a European country. Do you think the president of a small western country can be qualified to serve as the governor of a province in China?

[@Coxman]

No one sensible would want to govern any part of China, so I don't think anyone cares who does it in China. As usual, you missed the point of the video. More and more people are getting old, less and less youngsters are there to take care of them. You said that China is doing a good job on pensions? How is that possible? Basic economics, if you have more and more people not working because of their age, you have less and less people of working age, then how will the Chinese government raise the money for increasing pension payouts from less tax revenue? Let's face it pal, you don't know what you're talking about AT ALL!

[@jojored7966]

@@Coxman You don't know what I'm talking about, it's because you haven't been to China, you don't know China, your way of thinking is Western, the Chinese elderly now are the baby boomers of the 1950s and 1960s, because of family planning in China in the 1970s and 1990s The population is small, and the two generations are very different in terms of economy, culture, and abilities. The starting point of my speech is that I am one of them, I am experiencing this personally, my family has 5 elderly people, I am qualified to speak. The cost of living in China is much lower than in developed countries, and government pensions can cover their lives and they have savings. The elderly basically own real estate and do not need housing expenses. My wife and I's income can cover household living expenses, two children's expenses, plus savings and other commercial insurance. Your doubts and confusions lie in your misjudgment of China's demographic structure. In the next 20 years, the elderly will not be more and more, but less and less!

[@Coxman]

@@jojored7966 Lol lol. I stopped reading your comments when you erroneously claimed that China's living costs are lower of "some developed" countries. And then to state that if I've never been to China, then I couldn't possibly know China. Let's use your illogical example and see if we can get an answer from you. In 1989, Chinese soldiers killed thousands of unarmed students in Tiananmen Square. Now I wasn't actually in the country as I was watching it on TV as a teenager in college. Don't you think it was cruel and barbaric what the government of China did to the citizens who they are sworn to protect?

[@shama9279]

Read the Bible to them, so that way there is hope that Jesus knows their heart ,even if the brain stops working properly. It's their soul that needs to be saved now. This disease has no chance of recovery, my mom passed away 5 years ago from this illness as well as diabetes. Just remember that you are loved and worth it, if you take care of others, lean on Jesus for He can give strength beyond your imagination. Just love them, show great compassion.

[@covenawhite4855]

Thank you for your words of encouragement

[@shama9279]

@@covenawhite4855 your so welcome

[@khalidmehmood841]

America is old now so China be old then what?👈😜

[@christinesimpson9717]

Panda country

[@djinghiskhan9199]

I didn't bother watching - did it have any anti-China propaganda from the ASPI in it like last FC?

[@markbantz9699]

Plenty of weapons but poor people. The govt. doesn’t care!

[@jojored7966]

@@markbantz9699 China has done a great job on policy and pensions! But the traditional Chinese concept is: you raise me to become an adult, and I raise you to grow old. China is so big that a Chinese mayor may be responsible for a population and area equivalent to that of a European country. Do you think the president of a small western country can be qualified to serve as the governor of a province in China?

[@nenasiek]

Nope, just heartbreaking stuff about several families. Dementia is rough