Voluntary guardianship services help the elderly navigate twilight years

Voluntary guardianship services are addressing the elderly's immediate needs, especially those who have no traditional guardians such as a spouse or a child.

Under the service, as clarified in the 2020 Civil Code, an adult can choose a reliable person or organization to be their guardian when they become incapacitated.

Fei Chao, 35, director general of Jinshan Guardianship in Shanghai, sometimes receives urgent calls during the night, and often has to rush to the hospital to sign medical documents for a client. This is one of the most critical services Jinshan provides for older people.

Established in 2020, Jinshan is the first nonprofit civil organization in China dedicated to providing professional guardianship services for the elderly. It was initiated by three nonprofit organizations led by Shanghai Jinmei Elderly Care, which is dedicated to serving residents with dementia. One of the organizations specializes in legal assistance, and the other focuses on hospice care.

After the client and Jinshan sign an agreement, they go through the notarization process that aims to protect both sides and ensure the fair execution of the accord. When the client becomes unable to make independent decisions or requires an agent to act on their behalf in legal matters, Jinshan usually acts as that agent.

When an emergency happens, the organization assumes guardianship of the elderly person, and makes decisions as indicated per the agreement. These cover areas such as medical decisions, property management, and hospice and palliative care. If the client passes away, the organization is responsible for executing their will, and other duties.

About 200 people have consulted Jinshan on the guardianship services over the past four years. It is now serving nearly 40 elderly people.

Fei said voluntary guardianship is not as complicated as many people imagine. "They may come to us for various reasons, but we are simply focusing on catering to their demands in a timely way with patience, effort and care — we kind of act like their children," said Fei, who leads a team of five people.

He said he and his colleagues never place themselves above their clients, but simply take responsibility for them and offer "service on demand". His team regularly visits the clients to accompany them on outings, chat with them and provide services, especially during festivals and holidays. Most of the time, team members are on call and are prepared to meet needs as basic as grocery shopping and fixing cellphones.

"What we do is not difficult, but it is a bit tedious. But for some of our clients, accompanying them to a surgery or to buy groceries can be of equal importance," Fei said.

A female client surnamed Xu, born in 1950, lives alone in Shanghai. Her association with Jinshan began in July 2022 during the pandemic. She realized the need for the service when her son had to struggle to fly to China from overseas to sign a medical document for her surgery.

Another elderly female client surnamed Hu signed the agreement in February 2022, after she was diagnosed with cancer a few months earlier. The organization accompanied her during her final days, offering over 1,175 hours of services, that included 40 days in the hospital during the pandemic. After she passed away, Jinshan arranged her funeral and spent nearly a year executing her will. Hu had no surviving children, and her assets were distributed to several families who had also lost their children.

"We hope everyone can care about the elders in their family, and we are actually happy to see some clients terminate the agreement with us and return to their own families," Fei said. "But, if they do not have anyone better to turn to, our organization will be their last choice as a reliable guardian."

As China's aging population grows, Fei believes guardianship services and the overall elderly care service sector will have a bigger role to play.

The nation's efforts to tackle the challenges of an aging society were highlighted at this year's two sessions, the annual gatherings of the National People's Congress and the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, which was held from March 4 to 11.

China's Minister of Civil Affairs Lu Zhiyuan said at a news conference on March 9 that elderly care services in China have transitioned from a security net providing basic livelihood support to a system of quality services that integrates both medical and healthcare.