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E-mail Shanghai Daily, November 13, 2012
Nursing homes
In fact, nursing homes seem to be the only hope for many families with senile dementia patients.
At the end of 2011, Shanghai had 631 registered nursing homes, with 100,200 beds. About half were privately owned. Most public ones, particularly in downtown areas, are full while their private counterparts - which charge more - usually have 30-40 percent of the beds unoccupied.
"I contacted many nursing homes in town, but few would receive senile patients," Wu says. "They told me it was impossible to care for such patients around the clock. Their ayis usually keep an eye on seven or eight patients."
Even for elderly patients without senile dementia, finding a suitable nursing home is difficult. There are issues of cost, how much the patient's pension will cover, the quality of the facility and accessibility for family members.
Wu says she tried rehabilitation centers and found they are full and fully booked in advanced. "Luckily my father used to work in the government, and I used our social connections to squeeze a quota slot. If all goes well, he will move there next spring."
But for ordinary families without financial support, the only answer is for one family member to give up work and care for the patient.
"Currently my mother's condition is not too serious, though she cannot speak but I still feel uncomfortable sending her to a nursing home," says Wang Wei, a 51-year-old primary school teacher. "I have heard too many bad things about the staff. They seem nice when family members are there, but when they leave, the staff immediately take away fruits and food for the elderly."
Since her mother lost the language ability, she cannot say how she is treated. "Today the character of these care-givers is fairly so, and I'd rather quit my job to care for my mother myself," Wang says.
The lack of affordable public nursing homes and rehabilitation centers with good quality care is a major problem. One senile dementia rehabilitation center is in Changning District - it's also believed to be the first in China. The center recently expanded from 60 to 200 beds and still cannot meet demand.
"We hope that the government will give more financial support and encourage the operation of these centers," Wang says. "Aging is a natural process. This special group needs understanding, dignity and a peaceful shelter."
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