For Mrs. Wu, it's an investment in her own future. And for China, it's a small step toward coping with an impending crisis. Today, the elderly in China represent about 10 percent of population. Families once shouldered the burden of elderly care, but now many young Chinese leave their hometowns in search of work. And with China's strict policy limiting couples to one child, there are fewer young people to care for aging parents.
Government officials admit they're scrambling to find solutions.
Retirement homes are being built at a breakneck pace, as more than 300 are now being built in the Beijing area alone. But almost every elderly Chinese will tell you they want nothing to do with them. This is exactly why the Time Bank has struck a chord with the government and the people, since it is a program providing traditional family care when there is no more family. Mrs. Wu, now 52, knows it won't be long before she's in need of care and companionship. But she now has hope that Mrs. Cha's today will be her tomorrow.