An elder lady is playing toy bricks at the nursing home. [Photo by Zhao Qian/China Daily]

On Wednesday, the Beijing Municipal Academy of Social Sciences published a report highlighting the need to improve the capital's care services for senior citizens. Gmw.cn commented:

The biggest problem with the care services for the elderly in Beijing is the lack of educated staff. Even though one college after another has included old age care among its majors, very few high school graduates choose to apply for it.

Worse, growing numbers of staff in senior citizens' care centers are reportedly quitting their jobs, because of the low pay, heavy work load, and lack of social status.

Some scholars propose the State offer subsidies so that more high school graduates will choose to take the major in care for the aged. The problem is, that will only help in the short term. The long-term problem, namely that the profession is not appealing to job-seekers, will still remain unsolved. If a subsidy is introduced, the major might get more applicants, but they will still seek other jobs after they graduate.

The problem actually reflects the distorted market in which care services for the elderly make little money and cannot support staff with higher educational backgrounds.

Many senior citizens have spent their life savings on their children, and cannot pay a high price for care services.

The government can help by offering subsidies and tax incentives to the care industry, so that it can make more money and pay for better educated staff. Where the market fails, the government must play its role.