'I'd talk to the TV': The paid companions bringing warmth to China's lonely
News Source
β’Tue, 13 Oct 2026 22:02:09 GMT
π° What Happened
A new kind of service is growing in China: paid companions for lonely older people. One example is Wang Yingwei and his delivery team. They visit elderly clients twice a day with hot meals and help them around the home.
Yang, who is 91, lives near Beijing. After her husband died she felt so lonely that she talked to her TV. Her life changed after Yingwei's team started visiting. The service costs less than half the price of a paid caregiver.
π The Backstory
China's population is ageing fast. Millions of young people move to cities for work, leaving their parents behind. Many older people live alone with very little daily contact.
Experts say this isolation comes from how Chinese society has changed. Rural workers leave tight communities for big cities. Graduates move across the country for jobs. Loneliness is now a serious public issue in China.
π― Why It Matters
Loneliness harms both mental and physical health. Paid companions show a new way to care for older people as families spread apart.
A new kind of service is growing in China: paid companions for lonely older people. One example is Wang Yingwei and his delivery team. They visit elderly clients twice a day with hot meals and help them around the home.
Yang, who is 91, lives near Beijing. After her husband died she felt so lonely that she talked to her TV. Her life changed after Yingwei's team started visiting. The service costs less than half the price of a paid caregiver.
China's population is ageing fast. Millions of young people move to cities for work, leaving their parents behind. Many older people live alone with very little daily contact.
Experts say this isolation comes from how Chinese society has changed. Rural workers leave tight communities for big cities. Graduates move across the country for jobs. Loneliness is now a serious public issue in China.
Loneliness harms both mental and physical health. Paid companions show a new way to care for older people as families spread apart.