China sees better nursing home services in 2017

China had improved services at nursing institutions for the elderly at the end of November 2017, Minister of Civil Affairs Huang Shuxian said on Tuesday.

Medical services were provided in 93.4 percent of all nursing homes, and the ratio of nursing beds designed for those incapable of taking care of themselves rose from less than 30 percent in 2015 to 46.4 percent by the end of November 2017, according to Huang.

The country had more than 28,000 registered nursing institutions for the elderly, with nearly 7 million beds by September 2017. More than 12,500 nursing institutions for the elderly were private, up 7.8 percent year on year, Huang said.

China had around 230 million people aged 60 or above at the end of 2016, 16.7 percent of the total population, among them 51.3 percent of were elderly people whose children were not living with them.