WhenmanyambitiousyoungChineseflocktobiggercitiestoearnabet-terliving,theirparentsoftenjointhemtohelpwiththechoresandchildcare.AccordingtotheNationalHealthCommission’sstatistics,thiskindofmigrationhasamountedtonearly18millionpeople,accountingfor7.2percentoftheoverall247millionmigrants.Amongthem,ashighas43percentmigratetotakecareoftheirchildrenandtheyoungergeneration.Buthowdotheyfitintheirlivesinnewplaces?
“InvisiblePopulation”
GuiyanginsouthwestChina’sGuizhouProvinceisexperiencingfastdevelopment.Ms.ChenmovedtoGuiyangfromanothercityintheprovincethreeyearsagoafterretirement.Shewalkshergrandsontokindergartenandhomeeveryday,andvisitsthemarketearlyinthemorningandthenpreparesbreakfastanddinnerforthewholefamily.“Igettired,”sheadmitted,“butIamhappyatthesametimetobewithmyfamilyandwatchmygrandsongrowupdaybyday.”
Incomparison,Ms.MawholivesinChaoyangDistrictinBeijingisnothappy.Asshecan’tspeakMandarinorread,heronlyfriendsarehersonanddaughter-in-law.Sheseldomchatswithneighborsortakeswalksoutside.Althoughtheresidentialbuildingispackedwithhundredsofresidents,theyareallstrangerstoMa.Sheadmittedthatsheonlyfeelsherselfneededwhenitcomestolookingafterhereightmonth-oldgranddaughter.
Shesaidsheoftenfeelsemptyafterherchildrenreturnhomefromwork.“TheyjustwatchTV,readnewsoncellphones,playwiththebaby,ortheyhavetospendsomeextratimeatwork.Iunderstandwhytheydon’twanttotalkastheymustbetiredafterworkingforawholeday,”saidMa.
Itiscommonforelderlymigrantstohavefewfriends,misstheirhometown,feellonely,andfinditdifficulttoadapttotheirnewlivesincities.Astheyarenotregisteredlocalresidentsandthereforenotcoveredbylocalmedicalinsurance,theyarereluctanttogotohospitalswhentheyareill.The20162017reportonBeijing’ssocialgovernancedevelopmentdisclosedthatduetodifferentdialectsorlivinghabitsintheirnewcities,plusbeingfarawayfromtheirextendedfamilies,relatives,andfriends,manyseniormigrantsfeelthereisaninvisiblewallbetweenthemandthenewenvironment.Thisresultsinsomeofthemseldomgoingoutsideandendingupbeingreducedtobeinganinvisiblepopulation.
“Manymigrantseniorsareintheprocessofadaptingtourbanliving,resemblingtheprocessofperi-urbanization,”saidMuGuangzong,aprofessorofdemographyatPekingUniversity.Sincethereformandopening-uppolicywaslaunched,manypeoplehavemovedtoandsettleddowninbetterdevelopedcities,resultinginasurgingnumberofmigrantseniors,whowanttoorneedtolivetogetherwiththeirchildren.It’sasignofimprovedurbanizationinChina,aswellasareflectionoftraditionalChinesecultureinwhichgenerationsarecloselyconnectedandgrandparentsaredeeplyinvolvedinthecareofyoungchildren.
DifficulttoFitin
Threeyearsago,MiaoYanmei,asocialworkerandassociateprofessoratBeijingCityUniversity,launchedasurveyonthelivesofmigrantseniorsinaresidentialcommunityinChangpingDistrict,Beijing.Miao’ssurveyindicatedthathalfoftheseagedmigrantscomefromruraltownsandvillagesinotherprovincesandcities.Asmanyas70percentofthemmovetoBeijingtotakecareoftheirgrandchildren.Theyadmittedthattheyaresatisfiedwiththedevelopedinfrastructureofthecapitalandfeelhappytostaywiththeirchildren,buttheyarenotcomfortablewiththeclimate,differentdialects,livinghabits,andthehurdlesofmakingnewfriendsatthatageinanewenvironment.
FromMiao’spointofview,thelackofsocialcommunicationremainsanimportantreasonformigrantseniorstomisstheirhometowns.“Aseniorcomplainedthatpeoplelivingincitiesjuststayathomeandkeeptheirdoorsclosed,butpeopleinherhometownallliveintheirownhousesandvisiteachotherquiteoften,”saidMiao.
ThefamousquotefromLeoTolstoythat“happyfamiliesareallalike;everyunhappyfamilyisunhappyinitsownway”perfectlydescribestheconditionofmigrantseniors.Theagedandtheyounglivingtogetherisaneffectivewaytointegratefamilyresourcesandtobalancethechallengesoftakingcareofboththeagedandtheyoung.However,astheseniorsleavetheirhometownsandhavetoadapttonewlives,familymembersmayfacemorefrictions.
Whatismoreworryingisthat,astheseniorsfinditdifficulttomakenewfriendsandfitinthenewenvironment,theymayendupsufferingfrommentalillnessessuchasdepression.Statisticsshowedthatmigrantseniorsconstituteamajorityoftheagedwhosufferfromdepression.
OneofMiao’sinterviewees,anoldwomanfromTangshanCity,HebeiProvince,suffersfromseriousmentalhealthissues.Afterheronlydaughtermovedtoanapartmentneartotheelementaryschoolwherehergrandchildattends,sheandherhusbandhadtolivealoneattheoldresidence.Afterherhusbandpassedaway,shefeelsherselfaburdenonherdaughter.Shesaidshefeelsabandoned.
Theassociatedrisksofanelderlypopulationleavingtheirhometownsaremainlyold-agesecurity,healthcare,andsocialcommunication,saidProfessorMu.Withafixedmindset,lifestyle,andrelianceonacquaintances,theymayfeelisolatedandmisunderstoodoutsideofthefamiliarenvironment,whichaffectsthequalityoflifeintheiradvancedyears.
MakingElderlyMigrantsHappy
Miaoisdedicatedtofindingouthowtomaketheseoldermigrantsfindhappiness.
Topromotecommunicationbetweenelderlymigrantsandtheirnativeneighbors,aswellaswithintheelderlymigrants,Miaoworkswithresidentialcommunity-basedsocialworkerstoinitiateaseriesofactivitiestogetagedmigrantsintocommunities,suchaslecturesonlifeandhealthpreservation,andsingingcompetitions.Throughparticipatingintheseactivitiesandinteractingmorewithneighborsandcommunitysocialworkers,theelderlymigrantsbecomemoreconfidentinintegratingintourbanliving.GrandparentspickuptheirgrandsonoutsideanelementaryschoolentranceattheappointedtimeinChaoyangDistrict,Beijing.Ms.Hanisanexample.Beforeshewasunhappyaboutherdaughter-in-lawwholikesshoppingverymuch.AfterconsultingwithpsychologicalexpertsinMiao’sworkgroup,Hanunderstandsmoreaboutthelifestyleofhersonanddaughter-in-law,whilethechildrenalsopaymoreattentiontoHan’sfeelings.MiaoalsoencouragedHantoparticipateincommunityactivitiestomakeherownfriends.NowHanhasmanyfriendsinthecommunity,andsheadmittedthatshefeelsbetternowandfindsherlong-termstaymoreenjoyable.
“Homeiswheretheheartis,”saidMiao,describingthesentimentsoftheseniormigrants.Withastrengthenedsenseofbelonging,theywillfeelsecureandhappy.Manyofthemwilllivewiththeirchildrenfortheremainderoftheirlife,soitwillbebetteriftheycanfitinthenewenvironmentassoonaspossible.
Miaopointedoutthatmakingelderlymigrantshappyrequiresthecoordinatedeffortsoftheirchildren,government,andthewholesociety.Childrenshouldrespectandtakecareofseniorsathome,whileaseniorcaresystemthatcombinesbothmedicalservicesandelderlycareshouldbeestablished.
AccordingtoYuanZhifa,authorofthebookHappyOldAge,elderlymigrantscanenjoytheirlivesthroughvariousways.Itishappytobearoundchil-drenandgrandchildren,tomakefriendsintheresidentialcommunity,andsharewiththemmomentsofhappinessandsadness,toworkoutregularly,tostayfitforlife,tostudyeverydaytoenrichthemselves,andtodevelopinterestinsinging,dancing,painting,calligraphy,orcooking.
Yuancalledforadultstotreattheiragingparentsastheydotheirchildren,givingmoretime,attention,company,andunderstanding.Theyoungshouldspendtimewiththeoldasoftenaspossiblebychattingwiththemorgoingoutwiththem.“Theseniorswillfeelhappyifthechildrencanaccompanythemtovisithometownsduringtheholidays,”Yuansaid.
Inaddition,thegovernmentandsocialorganizationsshouldprovidebettersocialservices.InBeijing’sFangshanDistrict,thelocalsocialworkersassociationorganizedaseriesofactivitiestohelpover500elderlymigrantsbetteradapttotheirnewlives,suchassharingcookingexperiences,birthdayparties,andsingingcompetitions.Someelderlycarecentersalsoworkwithsocialworkerstosupporttheorganizationoftheseactivities.
Miaosuggestedthatthegovernmentshouldalsobuildupanationwideadvancedagedcaresystemforthisspecialgroup,coveringaspectssuchassocialbenefitsandmedicalinsurance.Withavisionforthefuture,acommunitybasedelderlycarenetworkshouldbeestablished.Forexample,daycarecentersfortheelderlycanbeestablishedtocopewiththeneedsofbothlocalandmigrantseniors.
ProfessorMusaidthatifelderlymigrantscanenjoyequalsocialbenefitsaslocals,itispossibleforthemtotrulysettledownincitiesandbeabletocallthemhome.PENGXUNWENisareporterwithPeople’sDailyoverseasedition.
Thelackofsocialcommunicationremainsanimportantreasonformigrantseniorstomisstheirhometowns.
Makingelderlymigrantshappyrequiresthecoordinatedeffortsoftheirchildren,government,andthewholesociety.