Meet Ms. Ma! After working as a teacher for many years, she retired and thought she’d have lots of free time. But she had a new job waiting for her—taking care of her 89-year-old mother-in-law who has Alzheimer’s disease.
Alzheimer’s is an illness that makes people forget things and even forget how to do everyday tasks. Taking care of someone with Alzheimer’s can be hard work!
But here’s something amazing: Ms. Ma isn’t alone. In Beijing, many older people are looking after their even older parents! 😮
So, what did Beijing do to help? They have a special phone number called the “12345 Citizen Hotline.” People can call this number to ask for help with all sorts of things.
The hotline noticed that more and more seniors were asking for help to care for their parents. So, in 2021, Beijing decided to build 1,000 community care centers and nursing homes. That’s a lot of places where people can get help! 🏠🏥
Thanks to the hotline and these new centers, Ms. Ma and her mother-in-law got the support they needed. Now, they both have brighter, happier lives! 😊
If you want to learn more about their story, there’s a documentary called “Hotline Beijing” you can watch.
Isn’t it wonderful when communities come together to help each other? ❤️
Reference(s):
Hotline Beijing | Helping the elderly care for their seniors
cgtn.com
