China’s Aging Population Fuels New Industry of ‘Adult Children for Hire’

BEIJING: China’s rapidly aging population and declining birth rate have given rise to an unusual new industry in which young people are hired to provide companionship and everyday assistance to elderly citizens living alone.

The Washington Post reported that young men and women, mostly in their 20s and 30s, are offering themselves as “shared” or “outsourced” children for older people who need company rather than specialized medical care.

These paid companions visit elderly clients, talk with them, help them set up smartphones and accompany them to medical appointments. Advertisements for such services have appeared on Chinese social media, with prices ranging from about $29 to $88 for a three-hour session.

Sun Shuyang, a 28-year-old companion worker with Happy Home, a start-up in the northern city of Tianjin, said many of the company’s clients live alone because their adult children have moved to distant cities for work.

According to Sun, many elderly clients struggle with loneliness, fear and anxiety about death. Spending time with younger people, he said, can help them regain a sense of vitality and make them feel more energetic.

The emergence of the industry reflects a wider demographic challenge facing China. The World Health Organization projects that the number of people aged over 60 in China will reach 402 million by 2040, accounting for about 28 percent of the country’s total population. More than half of elderly people were living in “empty-nest” households in 2021, according to China’s National Committee on Aging.

China’s one-child policy, which remained in effect from 1979 to 2015, has also contributed to the country’s changing family structure. With fewer children available to care for aging parents and younger generations increasingly moving away for employment, many families are struggling to meet the emotional and practical needs of elderly relatives.

Researchers estimate that China could face a shortage of about 5.5 million elder-care nurses by 2030. Economists also expect the country to become a “super-aged society” by 2031, when people aged 65 and above will account for at least 20 percent of the population.

Chinese authorities are exploring several ways to address the growing demand for elder care. This year, officials proposed expanding mutual-aid elderly care services to 70 percent of regions by 2030. Technology companies are also developing elder-care robots capable of performing tasks ranging from massages to playing chess with senior citizens.

However, such initiatives will take time to develop, leaving the so-called “sandwich generation” — middle-aged people caring for both their children and aging parents — under considerable pressure.

Liu Cheng, founder of Time Bank in Suzhou, established his organization to provide elderly people with paid companionship. He said many adults want to care for their parents but cannot devote enough time to them while working and raising their own children.

Supporters argue that paid companionship addresses a genuine social need, but critics have raised concerns about safety and privacy. Elderly people may have important documents, identification records, property certificates and information about their financial assets in their homes. Critics have also warned that many companion workers do not have professional medical training and may not be prepared to respond to health emergencies.

Time Bank and Happy Home say they screen and train their workers. Time Bank also attempts to match clients with companions of the same gender and, with the client’s consent, requires workers to wear body cameras during visits to document interactions in case disputes arise.

The concept has also sparked debate in China over whether emotional support for parents should be commercialized. Filial piety remains an important traditional value in Chinese society, with children traditionally expected to respect, obey and care for their parents.

However, some families say paid companions can help them fulfill those responsibilities when work and other obligations prevent them from spending sufficient time with elderly parents.

Janice Ye, a 36-year-old teacher in Suzhou, hires Time Bank companions to visit her parents in Anhui province. She argues that maintaining a stable income is essential for providing long-term support to parents and that hiring someone to keep them company can help reduce their loneliness.

Experts say paid companionship can become a useful component of China’s elder-care system, but it should complement rather than replace family relationships and formal care services.

Economist Bingqin Li said the priority should be establishing a well-regulated care system with clear professional standards, allowing community volunteers and commercial providers to supplement formal elder-care services.

For the companies operating in this emerging sector, however, attracting customers remains difficult. Many elderly people are reluctant to seek assistance from people outside their families, even when they need it.

Liu Cheng said Time Bank currently receives around 100 orders a month and hopes to increase that figure to about 650. His long-term vision is for elderly people to be able to access home-based care and companionship as easily as ordering takeout.

Despite the rapid growth of this new concept, its founders acknowledge that hired companions cannot replace family members. Instead, they see the service as a practical response to a demographic reality in which millions of elderly Chinese are increasingly living without their adult children nearby.