Local associations for the elderly in which they are allowed to voice their opinions on public affairs and support each other, might enrich their social interactions and hence reduce the sense of isolation that is often the trigger for suicidal intentions. As the so-called empty nest elderly are particularly vulnerable to loneliness.

Legal assistance is also required to protect the rights and interests of elderly people, so they can seek legal protection instead of ending their lives should they suffer from unjust treatment meted out to them by unfilial children. Such being the case, local judicial organs should take more active measures to intervene in disputes over filial support, and in particular, provide better legal assistance and support for the elderly.

In addition, suicide prevention measures should be made an important criterion to evaluate central and local governments' contribution to social construction. In particular, local governments which fail to keep the percentage below a certain number should be held accountable.

Last but not the least, a new type of home-based care system may serve as a life-saver for those aged in the countryside in need of daily attendance. A host of Chinese farmers aged between 45 and 65, who are unable to find an urban job because of their age, can be trained to be carers. The government should provide funds to subsidize the care system.

Should this plan be put in place, senior citizens, especially those with disabilities or infirmities, whose children are permanently migrant workers in big cities, could purchase such services at a reasonable cost as of majorly the special fiscal expenditure allowed by central government and local governments, as well as their own.

The author is a lecturer in the Department of Sociology at Wuhan University.