Caring for the elderly

A recent report published by Shanghai University of Finance and Economics indicates that 54.6 percent of the elderly in China's rural areas still engage in occupational work and more than 60 percent live alone at home, with young people pursuing a better life in cities.

Such a large proportion of "left-behind" elderly in rural areas poses a severe challenge to the country, which must address its ageing society and create conditions to help senior people live their lives in dignity.

According to some analyses, the consumption potential from China's elderly population will grow from 4 trillion yuan ($644.8 billion) in 2014 to 106 trillion yuan by 2050. However, there are only 26 beds for every 1,000 senior people at nursing homes offering special care to senior citizens nationwide. Such a wide gap means there is huge pressure on the country's existing care facilities for the elderly but also enormous potential for the provision of care services for senior citizens.