As live-in caregivers returned to their hometowns for the Spring Festival break, families across China turned to short-term eldercare services to bridge the gap.

During the nine-day holiday, local governments and private providers expanded temporary boarding programs, offering stays ranging from several days to a few weeks.

Shanghai reported nearly 400 eldercare institutions providing short-term care over Chinese New Year, while similar services operated in cities including Beijing and Chengdu, provincial capital of the southwestern Sichuan province.

Like long-term nursing homes, these programs provided respite services, which typically include meals, bathing assistance, medication management, and other daily support to ensure continuity of care. Some facilities also organized holiday-themed activities, such as making dumplings and lantern riddles games.

A review by Sixth Tone found that fees typically ranged from a few hundred yuan per day, depending on care needs. In the eastern city of Nanjing, for example, a seven-day package cost 2,988 yuan ($432) for seniors requiring basic assistance, rising to about 3,688 yuan for more intensive care.

Eldercare has traditionally been handled within families, with spouses, adult children, or helpers providing round-the-clock support. But the model is under strain as the aging population grows faster than families can meet caregiving needs.

China’s population aged 60 and above is projected to increase by nearly 14 million annually on average between 2026 and 2030, according to data from the Ministry of Civil Affairs. Longer life expectancy and smaller family sizes mean fewer working-age adults are available to provide care, while more seniors live alone or manage chronic illnesses and disabilities.

Since 2023, several provinces have incorporated short-term institutional care into subsidy programs, while Shanghai also offers financial support to eligible elderly residents using respite services.

A study by Cai Yinghui, a researcher at the University of International Business and Economics, found that respite care can improve quality of life for seniors, while easing pressure on family caregivers.

“Protecting the health of a caregiver often means preserving the stability of an entire family,” Cai told local media, cautioning that caregivers left isolated and exhausted can undermine broader eldercare stability.

(Header image: A careworker assists a resident at a nursing home in Shanghai, 2025. Qilai Shen/Bloomberg via VCG)