Round Table China Your time is your new currency
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Dec 17, 2025 Fei Fei, a commentator on community-level eldercare initiatives in China, discusses the innovative Time Banking concept where community helpers earn care credits for future support. She highlights how time banks tackle the shortage of certified caregivers and provide a sustainable care solution. The conversation explores intergenerational programs like 'shared grandma' initiatives and the potential for technology to enhance, rather than replace, human interaction in eldercare. With insights on local adaptations and global trends, Fei Fei offers a glimpse into the future of community-based elder support.
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Time As Equal Currency
- Time banking values every hour equally, letting people earn credits by helping others regardless of task market value.
- This reframes care as a community-generated resource instead of a cash-dependent service.
Caregiver Shortage And A Community Fix
- China faces a large mismatch: over 45 million older adults need care while only ~500,000 certified caregivers exist.
- Time banking can partly fill this gap by mobilizing community volunteers as supplementary support.
Hengshui's Older-Volunteer Model
- Hengshui's Yangshu community has elder volunteers in their 60s who help older neighbors with errands and daily tasks.
- Volunteers earn credit points that can be redeemed for goods or future services when they themselves age.