Notes from a Retirement Community Caretaker

A sunrise industry with a bright future? High employment rates? Great prospects? Given the current state of things in China, everyone says elder care is the country’s best emerging industry, and everyone wants a piece of the pie. But only those on the front lines know that beneath the glamour lie nothing but challenges. Disputes among residents, endless paperwork, and the push and pull of mentoring come one after another. You see elderly couples get divorced, children covet their parents’ property, and old people secretly move from place to place to hide from their own children. You face suspicious managers who sow internal strife, the ups and downs of workplace relationships, and every facet of human nature. Behind the polished image of a promising company lie the elderly’s despair and the unspoken exhaustion of its workers.