Graying population to get more services

City plans new nursing homes, local canteens for the elderly

BEIJING - As the capital's population rapidly ages, the government will offer more help to its gray-haired citizens, including a monthly subsidy of 1,100 yuan ($171) for those who can't live independently or afford nursing home fees, according to a senior civil affairs official.

Beijing will also accelerate the construction of nursing homes, which cannot keep up with demand, and encourage the private sector to provide more affordable services in retiree communities, said Wu Shimin, director of the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Civil Affairs.