Home care recommended

Of the two tracks for respite care - in-home or at a care center - Jia doesn't hesitate to recommend home.

"After all, an entirely new environment adds to a vulnerable person's discomfort, and that will not strengthen their mental health or aid in their recovery," she said.

Given the aging population in Beijing, more attention should be paid to elderly care, as parents of the one-child generation enter their sunset years.

"More than 500 seniors are added to the population every day, on average. Of those, more than 120 are over 80 years old," said Li Hongbing, deputy director of the Beijing Civil Affairs Bureau.

The respite service piloted in Fengtai district may be a good starting point for the city to explore multiple ways of taking care of its elderly, while at the same time relieving the stress of those who for so long have tended them, Li said.

"One day, there will be more elderly people than younger people in Beijing, and the aging trend is gaining speed lately," he said.

"Respite care service, or short-term care, is not the solution to all problems, but it's a good approach to spur the future development of home care services for seniors, and to make more people realize the severity of the situation."

Cai Jingbo, Chen's husband, initially accompanied his wife during her time in the nursing center, day and night, paying out of pocket for an extended stay. He slept in another bed in the same room to keep a close eye on her. After a week, Chen had become familiar with the place and decided to return home. But he continued to visit once every a couple of days.

"Even if she was fine at the nursing center, I couldn't stop worrying about her," Cai said. "And after one period of respite - about 30 days - I took her home again."