China woman lives in nursing home, pays US$30 rent by providing companionship to residents

A 25-year-old woman in China has lived in a nursing home for over two years, paying just US$30 monthly rent by providing companionship to elderly fellow residents.

Photo: SCMP composite/Douyin A young Chinese woman lives in a nursing home and pays just 200 yuan (US$30) in rent a month in exchange for offering companionship to the elderly.

The life choice of 25-year-old Zhang Jin reveals a new pattern for young people to live under less pressure while helping out with the country’s problem of an increasingly ageing population.

Zhang Jin makes sure her elderly companion’s room is shipshape.

Photo: www.ettoday.net Over two years ago, Zhang, a new graduate from eastern China’s Jiangxi province, moved to Suzhou in eastern Jiangsu province when she found a job there.

Around the same time, Zhang saw a Suzhou nursing home’s online post recruiting live-in volunteers.

It offers a room to young people for 200 to 300 yuan (US$30 to US$40) a month, which is 10 times cheaper than the market price, in exchange for their service to its elderly residents.

Volunteers must be under the age of 35, have no properties in Suzhou and have a full-time job.

Zhang has formed a one-on-one relationship with one of the elderly residents, above.

He even makes soup for her when she is feeling unwell.

Photo: www.ettoday.net According to publicly available information, the nursing home, Yiyang Senior House, has more than 1,500 beds.

The home’s general manager, Shen Rong, said they selected five people out of over 40 applicants.

Zhang was selected, and posted that she has “begun retirement life at the age of 22”.

To also ensure the young volunteers’ personal lives, the home only asks for a minimum of 45 hours’ service per season.

The well-appointed facility, above, has more than 1,500 beds.

Photo: www.ettoday.net On weekdays, Zhang is an office worker at a company 30 minutes away from the home.

At weekends, Zhang becomes a volunteer, helping the elderly residents in dancing classes and other fun activities, and chatting with them, offering companionship.

Zhang also has a one-on-one service partner in the home, an 89-year-old grandfather.

She would chat with him every evening after she got off work.

If she came home late, she would also let him know so that he would not worry about her.

The nursing home provides a range of activities and entertainment for its residents.

Photo: www.ettoday.net The man treated Zhang like his own granddaughter, cooking her hot soup at 5am w

原文链接: 南华早报