A new law is not enough to care for the elderly

Lawmakers should keep in mind the big picture when revising legislation, said an article in the Southern Metropolis Daily (excerpts below).

According to the newly revised law on the rights of the elderly, younger relatives have a duty to care for them.

If the law is enforced, it will benefit 167 million senior citizens, 11.4 percent of the population.

But there are pitfalls. For most busy families looking after the elderly can involve time and money they simply don’t have. Because of work or study, families can be far apart.

For example, there are more than 200 million migrant workers, who work in the city leaving their parents and children at home. How can they obey the law?

Chinese families are going through the pain of an agricultural nation's evolution into an industrial country. Such pains can only be relieved and tolerated through reforms and progress, but cannot be solved by a new law with sweeping aims.