Another elderly female client surnamed Hu signed the agreement in February 2022, after she was diagnosed with cancer a few months earlier. The organization accompanied her during her final days, offering over 1,175 hours of services, that included 40 days in the hospital during the pandemic. After she passed away, Jinshan arranged her funeral and spent nearly a year executing her will. Hu had no surviving children, and her assets were distributed to several families who had also lost their children.

　　“We hope everyone can care about the elders in their family, and we are actually happy to see some clients terminate the agreement with us and return to their own families,“ Fei said. “But, if they do not have anyone better to turn to, our organization will be their last choice as a reliable guardian.“

　　As China's aging population grows, Fei believes guardianship services and the overall elderly care service sector will have a bigger role to play.

　　The nation's efforts to tackle the challenges of an aging society were highlighted at this year's two sessions, the annual gatherings of the National People's Congress and the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, which was held from March 4 to 11.

　　China's Minister of Civil Affairs Lu Zhiyuan said at a news conference on March 9 that elderly care services in China have transitioned from a security net providing basic livelihood support to a system of quality services that integrates both medical and healthcare.