【Elderly Support Trust for Bereaved Families: The “Last Line of Defense” for Later Life】

Aunt Zhang, a retired teacher, and her husband, a retired factory worker, lost their only son in an accident five years ago.
The couple receives a combined monthly pension of 12,000 yuan.
They own one self-occupied property (valued at 5 million yuan) and financial assets totaling 2 million yuan.
They are concerned that as they age, medical and care expenses will surge and may not be covered by their pension alone.
With no children to care for them, they hope to move into a high-end senior care facility in the future.
They also want the use of their funds to be monitored by a third party to avoid fraud or misuse.
Aunt Zhang injected 1.5 million yuan of financial assets into the trust, excluding the property for now (reserved for emergency sale if needed).
The trust terms stipulate that starting at age 70, the couple will receive a monthly supplement of 8,000 yuan.
This supplement is to improve their quality of life or cover senior living facility expenses.
In case of major illness, they can apply for a one-time withdrawal of up to 500,000 yuan for medical expenses.
A community committee staff member is designated as the trust supervisor.
They will check the fund usage and the couple's living conditions every quarter.
If one party passes away, the remaining funds will continue to support the surviving partner.
After both have passed, the remaining assets will be donated to the community senior canteen.

By utilizing a family trust, a secure eldercare system is built for bereaved families.
Asset Independence: Trust funds are separate from the couple’s everyday accounts.
This avoids loss due to fraud or impulsive spending.
Professional Continuous Management: Trustees adjust disbursement amounts based on age stages.
This matches needs at different stages of aging and ensures funds are sustainable.
Legal Risk Isolation: A third-party supervisor is involved to ensure funds are used strictly for eldercare and medical purposes.
This protects the bereaved elderly’s property and ensures quality of life.