Better Care for the Elderly

( 2011-March-3 13:51:05)

Better Care for the Elderly

The Ministry of Civil Affairs recently released a draft plan for the construction of the elderly care social service system for the 12th Five-year Plan period. By the end of 2009 there were 167 million Chinese citizens above the age of 60, representing 12.5 percent of the country’s total population. Some 18.99 million are 80 or older. The aim is to establish a tripartite system of support by 2015, based on in-home care, community daycare centers and public facilities of various kinds. From 2011 to 2015 China plans to add three million places in daycare centers and rest homes for seniors, offer incentives for home modification to adapt them for elderly occupants, and extend daycare centers to all urban communities and half of rural neighborhoods. These efforts will be financed by government appropriation, donations and charges on individuals using the services.