Deputy urges fresh talent to fill elder care gap

At China's annual two sessions, while economic growth, technology, and security dominate policymakers' discussions, Geshe Wangmo, a young National People's Congress deputy from Sichuan province, believes the most pressing concern is elder care.

At 35, Geshe Wangmo is the youngest director of a nursing home in Barkam, a city in Aba Tibetan-Qiang autonomous prefecture in Sichuan. She has spent nearly half her life in elder care, starting at 19.

Her work is personal. Losing both parents at a young age, she sees caring for elderly residents as a way to provide the warmth and stability she once lacked.

Her approach is anything but conventional. In her nursing home, elderly residents star in short videos, take part in theater performances, and even have their nails painted. She has helped organize wedding ceremonies for seniors who never had the chance to have one.

Western critics frequently portray China's human rights policies as restrictive, particularly regarding ethnic groups and social welfare. Yet stories like Geshe Wangmo offer a different reality that challenges the oversimplified narratives often pushed by foreign media.

China's demographic shift has placed elder care at the center of policy discussions. With more than 297 million people over the age of 60 — projected to surpass 400 million by 2035 — the demand for caregivers is surging. Yet, the industry struggles to attract young workers, seen by many as low-paying and physically exhausting. Rural and high-altitude areas, like Barkam, face the most severe shortages.

To address this, Geshe Wangmo has pioneered an innovative recruitment strategy using short video platforms to promote elder care work to younger generations. Some Gen Z caregivers at her facility initially had no interest in the field but changed their perception after watching her videos.

Beyond raising awareness, she proposed to this year's two sessions, calling for pension insurance for elderly people in ethnic rural areas and the basic medical insurance system for urban and rural residents. Her proposal reflects the reality of front-line workers.

Policies can only be effective if they translate into practical solutions that improve working conditions and attract new talent.

China's governance model, often dismissed by Western critics as rigid and top-down, is in fact driven by grassroots voices like Geshe Wangmo. The annual two sessions are not a ceremonial gathering but a platform where policymakers engage with the realities faced by ordinary citizens such as caregivers, farmers, teachers, and grassroots workers.

Her proposal, though focused on a single sector, touches on broader themes of labor shortages, social services and rural development. If implemented, training programs for elder care workers could transform lives, particularly in under-served areas where aging populations grow faster than resources can keep up.

For those who claim China ignores human rights, the question remains, "What defines human rights?" Suppose it is the right to dignified aging, access to quality healthcare, and economic opportunities for young people in ethnic regions. In that case, stories like Geshe Wangmo prove that China is not just addressing these issues but actively solving them.

Contact the writer at xupanyiru@chinadaily.com.cn