Social care for disabled elderly women in urban China: The roles of the community

This article analyses the provision of community care for urban disabled elderly women. With the emergence of an aging society in China and the empty nest syndrome in Chinese families, the number of elderly people who cannot take care of themselves is increasing. With the reduction in family size and the weakening of the home care function, traditional family care in China is facing immense challenges. On the one hand, a growing number of disabled elderly women are in urgent need of care; they encounter many difficulties in daily life, including poor health status, the loss of their spouse and living alone, an inability to support themselves economically, the lack of a spiritual life, and a significant reliance on their children to take care of them. On the other hand, the family's function of providing for the elderly has been weakened, and the traditional way of care is affected by the changes in modern society. Based on a qualitative study in Beijing, this article examines the demand for care from disabled elderly women and the current supply of community care. It puts forward a community-centred and targeted assistance model and social work intervention. This study argues that the community care system for disabled elderly women in urban areas should focus on four aspects, namely living care, medical care, spiritual consolation, and emergency assistance; and the protection mechanism should be improved to support disabled elderly women from three aspects: a protection system, a fund guarantee and services from health and social cafe staff and social workers.

Improving Chinese primary care providers' recruitment and retention: a discrete choice experiment

INTRODUCTION

Local primary care facilities in China struggle to recruit and retain doctors and nurses. Implementing policies to address this issue requires detailed knowledge of the preferences of primary care workers. The aim of this study is to find out which job attributes affect Chinese primary care providers' choice of job and whether there are any differences in these job preferences between doctors and nurses.

METHODS

A discrete choice experiment was used to analyse the job preferences of 517 primary care providers, including 282 doctors and 235 nurses.

RESULTS

Chinese primary care providers in Community Health Organizations (CHOs) considered monetary factors and non-monetary factors when choosing a job. Doctors' and nurses' preferences over job attributes were similar. Though income was important, Chinese primary care providers had strongest preferences for sufficient welfare benefits, sufficient essential equipment and respect from the community. Younger primary care providers were more likely to value training and career development opportunities.

CONCLUSION

In order to retain skilled primary care providers to work in CHOs, policymakers in China need to improve primary care providers' income, benefits and working conditions to fulfil their basic needs. Policymakers also need to invest in CHOs' infrastructure and strengthen training programmes for primary care providers in order to raise the community's confidence in the services provided by CHOs.

Baccalaureate nursing education in China: issues and challenges

As the baccalaureate becomes the new standard for nursing practice in China, nursing education is pivotal. The authors review the history and the current situation of nursing education and practice in China and discuss issues concerning baccalaureate graduates and the challenges in Chinese nursing education.