农村空巢老人的养老服务问题

Issues of Elderly Care Services for Rural Empty-Nest Elderly

摘要: 随着城镇化进程的加快，农村老龄化问题日益严重，空巢老人数量急剧增加，养老服务问题已成为关系农村社会稳定和民生福祉的重大议题。本文以法律保障为核心视角，综合运用政策执行偏差理论与社会支持网络理论，系统分析农村空巢老人在经济保障、日常照料、精神慰藉与健康服务四个维度上的多重困境，并在深入剖析现行法律制度结构性缺陷的基础上——重点考察《老年人权益保障法》核心条款的法理困境与实践软化问题——提出专门立法、政府责任强化、多元主体协同共治与社会工作专业介入等系统性改进路径。本文认为，构建具有刚性约束力的农村空巢老人养老服务法律保障体系，是推进乡村振兴战略、实现老龄社会善治的重要制度基础。

Abstract: With the acceleration of urbanization and the deepening of rural population aging, the number of rural empty-nest elderly has expanded rapidly, making their eldercare service deficiencies a major legal and public policy concern bearing on rural social stability and people’s livelihoods. Drawing on policy implementation deviation theory and social support network theory, this paper systematically examines the multiple predicaments facing rural empty-nest elderly across four dimensions: economic security, daily care, emotional support, and health services. It then conducts an in-depth legal analysis of the structural deficiencies in the existing legislative framework—with particular attention to the jurisprudential limitations of core provisions of the Law on Protection of the Rights and Interests of the Elderly and the ways in which its soft language has been further diluted in practice—and proposes targeted systemic reforms encompassing specialized legislation, clearer government accountability, multi-actor collaborative governance, and professional social work intervention. This paper argues that establishing a legally binding and operationally robust eldercare protection system for rural empty-nest elderly constitutes a critical institutional foundation for advancing the rural revitalization strategy and achieving good governance in an aging society.