China has observed local legislations on elderly care services at provincial or prefectural levels since 2014, which provide institutionalization for the elderly care mode transition. Employing Parsons' AGIL framework (Adaption, Goal attainment, Integration, Latency pattern maintenance), this study evaluates the policy effects using staggered Difference-in-Differences(DID) models with the balanced panel data from the China Longitudinal Aging Social Survey (CLASS) between 2014 and 2020. Our results reveal the following: (1) Local elderly care legislations consolidate the foundation of family-based care, and also elevate social care levels. Stronger promotion effects are found for the urban elderly and those with secondary education in adopting the social care mode; (2) The legislations help to integrate family and social care resources, thereby reducing family expenditure on elderly care in general and boosting the care economy induced by the higher demands of those with low ADLs. (3) The legislations promote a "family-state cooperation" paradigm, accelerating adoption of this modern care mode. These findings provide insights for optimizing local and national elderly care legislation.

BACKGROUND

Since the implementation of reforms and the advent of a more open society, China's methods of caring for the elderly have undergone a continuous transformation from traditional to modern forms. This transformation is influenced by cultural norms, institutional frameworks, and technological advancements. The Chinese government has made significant efforts to establish an institutional system for elderly care that is consistent with Chinese cultural values and traditions. Among these efforts, the legal system has undergone three phases. The first phase (before 1996) focused on reinforcing the family's role in elderly care, while the second phase (1996–2012) promoted the development of social elderly care, subsequent to these events (after 2012), the legal system has undergone a gradual transition toward a more equitable paradigm. In 2013, the Chinese government established a comprehensive policy and legal framework for the elderly care services sector, with the stated objective of achieving this goal by 2020. Consequently, local legislation pertaining to elderly care services experienced a marked acceleration beginning in 2014. By the conclusion of 2024, the influence of local elderly care services legislation had extended to 191 cities, encompassing municipalities and prefecture-level cities.

OBJECTIVE

The impact of local legislation on elderly care services must be clarified in order to understand the transformation of elderly care methods. Furthermore, the differences in this impact between urban and rural areas and among different levels of education must be examined. Finally, the mechanism by which local legislation on elderly care services influences the transformation of elderly care methods must be clarified.

METHODS

Guided by the AGIL framework of structural functionalism, this study employs balanced panel data from the China Longitudinal Aging Social Survey (2014-2020) to construct a staggered difference-in-differences model. Controlling for concurrent government pilot policies on elderly care services, we analyze the impact of local elderly care legislation on caregiving transitions and its underlying mechanisms.

RESULTS

1) The efficacy of local elderly care legislation is twofold: it strengthens the foundation of family-based elderly care and enhances the quality of social elderly care. The corresponding effects exhibit adaptability; however, the promotional effects on urban elderly individuals and those with medium educational attainment choosing social elderly care are more pronounced. 2) Local elderly care service legislation has promoted the integration of family and social elderly care service resources, helping to reduce family care service expenditures. Concurrently, the enhancement of the satisfaction of social service needs for high-demand groups has stimulated the development of the care economy. 3) Local elderly care service legislation has fostered a family-state co-governance elderly care philosophy, promoting family-state co-governance elderly care practices and accelerating the transformation of elderly care methods.

CONCLUSIONS

Local elderly care legislation has had a profound impact on the transformation of elderly care models in China, as the country has functioned as a “institutional laboratory” for new elderly care models. This transformation has not only consolidated China's long-standing, family-based elderly care model but also prompted elderly families to begin experimenting with social elderly care models. This transition has been achieved through a shift in elderly care concepts. In the contemporary historical period, local legislation pertaining to elderly care has played a significant role in the "balance-change-new balance" transformation process of elderly care methods.

CONTRIBUTION

Firstly, the research perspective is novel. This paper examines the influence of legal systems, the overarching concept of policy supply, on the transformation of elderly care methods, thereby rendering the research results more foundational and universally applicable. Secondly, the theoretical framework employed is innovative. The present paper employs the AGIL framework, a structural functionalist approach, to analyze the elements and mechanisms of the transformation of elderly care methods. The analysis utilizes quasi-natural experiment data for verification, thereby linking theory with practice to explain the underlying mechanisms of the transformation of elderly care methods.