It's been reported that a retired professor and his wife were found dead several days after they passed away from heat stroke.

The home of the dead retired professor in Nanjing, east China's Jiangsu Province. [File Photo: 163.com]

The elderly couple lived in Nanjing, east China's Jiangsu Province. The 75-year-old man worked at a local university before retirement, and his wife, who was 68, used to work at a photography studio. They died in early August when the city was hit by high temperatures. Neighbors said the couple lived frugally and had no air conditioners installed in their home.

Their only son, who works in Shanghai and seldom travels home, said his parents refused to have air conditioners. He said they chose to stay in Nanjing because they were not used to life with him in the bigger city. The son said he never thought his parents would die in such a way.

An 'empty nester' eats dinner. [File Photo: people.com.cn]

Similar cases have occurred from time to time in the past. Many Chinese seniors say they often struggle at the end of holidays, especially at Chinese Lunar New Year when they say their children have to go back to work, and they are left feeling lonely.

In one tragic incident reported last year, two elderly women in Jiangsu committed suicide out of loneliness and despair after their children went back to their own homes following a week of big family gatherings at Spring Festival.

According to data from the Ministry of Civil Affairs, as of the end of 2015, more than half of Chinese families consist of so-called 'empty nesters,' meaning seniors who live alone without children nearby. The ministry also said the number of empty nesters aged over 65 had reached at least 50 million by the end of last year, representing up to 4 percent of the country's total population. Nearly 10 percent of them have lost a spouse.

Volunteers help the elderly to measure blood pressure. [File Photo: Xinhua]

The well-being of empty nesters has aroused widespread concern from Chinese lawmakers. Many have proposed improving their quality of life by raising special funds to provide for their needs.

Specialists on psychological crisis intervention warn that elderly people, particularly the widowed, are vulnerable to separation anxiety and post-holiday blues after their children leave home. Experts suggest that young people should visit or call their elderly parents more often as the elderly need more family love.

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