TITLE:
Time-Banking Mutual-Aid Elderly Care Contracts: Protection of Service Providers’ Rights
AUTHORS:
Hanjin Li
KEYWORDS:
Time-Banking, Mutual-Aid Elderly Care, Service Providers, Rights Protection
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Social Sciences,
Vol.14 No.9,
September
1,
2026
ABSTRACT: The rapid spread of time-banking mutual-aid elderly care models has made the protection of service providers’ rights a pressing issue, and current laws fall short. Service providers face several difficulties. Specialized legislation is lacking, their legal status is unclear, time‑credit redemption is not sufficiently credible, contractual norms are underdeveloped, and personal safety protection is weak. These problems are interrelated. They stem from three overlapping sources. These include unclear legal characterization, insufficient institutional support, ambiguous organizational status, and a lack of credit guarantees. This article uses the mandate contract as a basis and sees time-banking service arrangements as two separate mandate contracts. One is between the organizer and the provider. The other is between the organizer and the recipient. The provider acts as the mandatary. Providers can ask for pay, get their expenses back, and claim damages. Organizers must share information, give training, and keep things safe. On this basis, contract forms and terms can be standardized. Rules for breach of contract and burden of proof can also be made clear. Credit security and risk-sharing tools could further strengthen redemption credibility.