Paid Helpers Bring Food and Company to Lonely People in China

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.

so lonely that= 「如此寂寞以至於⋯⋯」，用來表示某種程度引發的具體結果

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.

by themselves= 「獨自一人、靠自己」，表示沒有他人陪伴或協助的狀態

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.

anxious about= 「對⋯⋯感到焦慮或擔憂」，用於表達對特定情況的不安

學習筆記

文法整理

句型	意思
so lonely that	「如此寂寞以至於⋯⋯」，用來表示某種程度引發的具體結果
by themselves	「獨自一人、靠自己」，表示沒有他人陪伴或協助的狀態
anxious about	「對⋯⋯感到焦慮或擔憂」，用於表達對特定情況的不安

詞彙整理

單字	意思
repair	修理或修復的行為；使損壞的東西恢復正常功能的處理。
seniors	年資較久、經驗較豐富或職位較高的；資深的。
caregiver	照顧者；負責照料兒童、年長者或其他需要協助者的人。
anxious	非常渴望或急切想做某事的
connection	兩件事物或事件之間的關聯，尤其指其中一者造成另一者，或兩者具有共同特徵。

延伸學習

•文中提到的「community children（社區兒女）」體現了在高齡化與年輕人口外移的背景下，付費陪伴服務如何填補傳統家庭陪伴的空缺。
•除了針對獨居長者的到府陪伴與照料，近年在中國大城市興起的「陪診員」服務也逐漸受到獨自就醫感到不安的年輕族群青睞。