CHINESE OLDER ADULTS’ PREFERENCES FOR CARE PROVISION: DO THEY DEVIATE FROM TRADITIONAL FAMILIAL CARE

摘要

In Chinese tradition, the responsibility for elder care belongs to adult children. However, traditional family model is less sustainable nowadays. This study aims to provide timely information of Chinese older people’s care preferences. Two research questions are addressed: What type of care provision do Chinese older people prefer? What factors affect their care preferences? Data came from a survey completed in Shanghai and Hong Kong between 2014–2015. Respondents (aged 55 and older) were sampled through a stratified multistage probability sampling design. A total of 1,400 were sampled and 1,041 completed, with a response rate of 74.35%. Multinomial probit models were employed to study care preferences, which were coded as: family care provided by children, family care provided by spouse, community care, and residential care. Three sets of explanatory variables were examined: socioeconomic resources, perception of children’s filial piety, and practicality factors. Results show that family care provided by spouse and family care provided by children were most preferred by Shanghai elders and Hong Kong elders, respectively. Community care and residential care were least preferred by Shanghai elders and Hong Kong elders, respectively. Older people who experienced more filial piety from children, and provided grandchild care were more likely to prefer care from children. Living in a relatively aging-friendly community enabled elders to choose community care. The study suggests that modernization does not necessarily result in less traditional familial care preferences. Developing aging-friendly communities encourages community care preference and thus could ease the family burden of increasing demand for elder care.