Elderly Chinese woman seeks 'daughter' to assist her in old age. Ready to offer Rs 37,000 monthly, a flat

Ma also said she had divorced her daughters’ father when she was young and had since lost contact with most relatives.

An elderly woman from central China turned to the internet in an attempt to find a “daughter” who would look after her in later life, offering property and a monthly payment in exchange for ongoing care and companionship.

The woman, identified by the surname Ma and living in Henan province, spoke about her situation on a local television programme. She explained that although she had two biological daughters, only one remained in contact with her, and that daughter lived with a mental disability and could not care for herself. Ma said the other daughter wished to cut off their relationship entirely, South China Morning Post reported.

Ma described having long-standing health issues, including asthma, and said she found difficulty walking even short distances of around 100 metres. She said she hoped to find a woman who could accompany her to hospital visits, offer daily help and treat her with the closeness of a daughter.

She stated that she was prepared to provide one of her two flats, her belongings, and her pension of 3,000 yuan (Rs 37,914 approximately)) as a monthly salary to the person who agreed to take on the role. Reports from the outlet Dazhong News stated that Ma also held savings of 400,000 yuan (Rs 50,55,284 ). She said she intended to leave her other flat to her younger daughter.

According to the coverage, Ma’s elder daughter had withdrawn from the relationship following disagreements about how Ma had brought up her granddaughter. The daughter was said to have claimed that she was unemployed and unable to take responsibility for her mother’s wellbeing, saying that Ma’s decisions were “none of her business”.

Ma also said she had divorced her daughters’ father when she was young and had since lost contact with most relatives. She indicated she was prepared to formalise an arrangement with a future “daughter” by signing a contract.

The proposal drew strong reactions on Chinese social media. Some users expressed interest, while others questioned the practicalities and the motivations behind the arrangement. One commenter said: “It seems to me that she is seeking someone to care for both herself and her younger daughter.”

Another user remarked: “Given that she won’t even bequeath her property to her elder daughter, I doubt she would treat a new ‘daughter’ well.” A third comment stated: “With declining housing prices, the flat and cash she offers may not be enough to afford even a nanny for two people.”

Xi Junqi, a lawyer from Henan Zhongdi Law Firm, said that Ma’s elder daughter had a legal duty to support her mother and could not avoid that obligation by rejecting inheritance rights. He added that any individual who agreed to become Ma’s “daughter” would need to enter into a legacy support agreement to make the arrangement valid.

A nationwide study conducted by China’s Ministry of Civil Affairs in 2021 found that nearly 60 per cent of mainland Chinese residents aged 60 and over were living without adult children at home. The trend had contributed to the growth of a commercial service industry in which people were hired to act temporarily as “children”, attending hospital appointments with older clients and assisting with daily matters such as dealing with caretakers.

Fees for such work reportedly ranged between 500 and 2,500 yuan (US$70 to US$350) per visit, depending on the length and nature of the service.