In Beijing, 91-year-old Yang lived alone after her husband died. She felt so lonely that she talked to her television. She also had poor eyesight and could not do simple tasks, like setting the controls on her air conditioner.
Today, Yang has help from a new kind of service. A man named Wang Yingwei and his small team visit her twice every day on electric scooters. They bring her hot meals, talk with her, and repair things in her house. They fixed her shower and installed a clean water tank.
Many people in China now live far from their families because young adults move to other cities for work. Because of this, many older people stay home by themselves. Wang started his business because he wants seniors to stay safely in their own homes. His helpers call themselves "community children," and the service costs less than half the price of a full-time caregiver.
Paid helpers are becoming more common across China. Some workers visit older people at home, while others go to large hospitals with young people who feel anxious about seeing a doctor alone. For many people, these helpers provide simple human connection.