New Chinese law allows elderly to sue adult children for not visiting

The Silver Wave is often seen as a Western phenomenon, but many countries around the world are experiencing aging populations. One nation seeing a significant graying of its residents is China, home to 1.4 billion citizens, and these demographic changes are creating new challenges for the country’s government.

As recently reported by Bloomberg News, Chinese officials are moving forward with plans to allow the country’s senior citizens to sue their adult children for not visiting enough.

Currently numbering more than 200 million strong, China’s elderly will have the law at their disposal beginning July 1, and they will be able to sue their children for neglect.

“Old people left alone at home are very lonely and lack both physical and psychological care, so it's actually better to live in a home like ours where we have people to care for them,” according to Yang Youling, director of the Xiyanghong Elderly Home in the city of Qufu.

Yang told the news source that despite the benefits of assisted living communities in China, many seniors in the country see their move into such homes as not being in their best interests, and so this new regulation will give them the ability to voice their concerns more loudly.