Elder care and long-term care in China
Last reviewed: 2026-05-24
China’s elder-care advantage is not the formal long-term-care system (which is still developing); it is the depth of the human-help market. Domestic helpers (阿姨), hospital companions (陪诊), and inpatient aides (护工) are widely available at prices that would be unimaginable in most Western countries. The pages below explain how each role works, how to hire, what to budget, and where the limits are.
Pages in this section
- Family helpers and hospital companions in China – Hiring family helpers (阿姨, 护工) and hospital companions (陪诊) in China: agencies vs direct hire, contracts, CNY rates by city, English-speaking premium, quality control for overseas families.
- Hospital companion (陪诊) services: the operational deep dive – The 陪诊 (hospital companion) service in China: what it is, CNY 200-500 per visit pricing, how to book reputably, what tasks they handle, what they do not handle, how families overseas hire and verify.
- The care-labour advantage: the real reason China may work – The China care-labour advantage in plain numbers: 阿姨 (CNY 4,000-8,000/mo) vs Western paid care (USD 20-35/hr), 陪诊 hospital companions, 护工 inpatient aides, what the cost gap really buys.