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Coordination and Boundary of State and Family Responsibilities in Elderly Care

Author(s)

Liu Xinshu*

Affiliation(s)

School of Political Science and Law, University of Jinan, Jinan, Shandong, China *Corresponding Author

Abstract

China is aging fast. Households are emptying out. The model in which families alone shoulder the burden of elder care has reached its limit - and the question of who bears what responsibility has moved to the center of public debate. This paper draws on responsibility-sharing theory and welfare pluralism to examine where state and family roles have drifted apart, and where they might realign. The state carries a non-negotiable obligation to build institutions, allocate resources, and provide a safety floor. But families still anchor the everyday work of care - the companionship, the daily monitoring, the emotional fabric that no bureaucracy can replicate. We attempt to draw a workable line between these two spheres and to lay out an analytical framework for coordinated governance. The paper closes with concrete optimization strategies, drawing on both Chinese and international experience, to help untangle the current elder-care impasse.

Keywords

Elderly Care Services; State Responsibility; Family Responsibility; Responsibility Boundary; Collaborative Governance; Welfare Pluralism

References

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