The Study of Social Welfare Policy for the Elderly in Rural Areas of China: A Case Study in Da’an District of Zigong

Abstract

This qualitative research aimed to: 1) study the living conditions and challenges of the elderly in rural areas of Da’an district, Zigong city, China and 2) analyze the social welfare provision to improve the quality of life of the elderly. This study involved a total of 16 key informants through purposive sampling. The research methods used to collect data in this study include document analysis and interviews. The data were analyzed by content analysis. The result revealed that: 1) the elderly population in Da’an district, China, had lived in modest conditions and engaged mostly in farming occupations. They were considered relatively underprivileged and relied on farming, their children’s support, government allowance, and savings as their primary sources of income. Family care was the primary source of support for older people in rural areas, and they often opted for getting medicine from a pharmacy to save money. They faced economic difficulties due to insufficient income, lack of access to quality healthcare services, and limited opportunities for spiritual, cultural, and recreational activities, which led to a sense of emptiness and loneliness. The collaborative social welfare implementation among the government, community, and family support systems have been effective in providing social welfare for rural area elderly, including basic housing units, free medical check-ups, monthly subsidies, winter clothing, essential food items, and mobility aids. This study highlighted the effectiveness of collaborative governance in providing social welfare for the elderly in rural area and could serve as a model for future policymaking and implementation in other areas. 2) The main problems of the Chinese elderly in rural arear included: (1) income which they needed more support for daily living, (2) lack of health care, which means that quality of care was not high and professional health care was needed, and (3) poor awareness of medical and health services. 2) The government social welfares provided by the government for the elderly in Da’an district of Zigong were: health service, economic welfare and income, nursing service, medical service, and basic essential things for the elderly’s life. 3) The guidelines to improve social policy were as follows: (1) The government should develop rural economy and increase income for rural elderly people. (2) The government should provide the more supply platforms to ensure quality of nursing and medical service for the elderly and the recreation activities to ensure mental health. (3) The government should establish and improve social welfare policies for the elderly and provide independent guidelines for the management.