Shanghai spent about 659.32 million yuan (about US$96.96 million) to care for the aged this year, said a local government official on Tuesday.

Municipal government spokesman Chen Qiwei said homes for the aged added 10,030 beds at a cost of 524.8 million yuan, bringing total beds to 80,000.

The city also built 100 new day-care centers for the aged at a cost of 134.52 million yuan. There are now 228 such centers serving more than 8,000 senior citizens.

Also, 214 canteens for the aged were opened in the city's communities, most of which were in downtown areas. About 18,800 senior citizens eat at these facilities.

The government also subsidized services for 103,000 low-income senior citizens who have difficulties living on their own, said Chen.

There are 2.8 million people above the age of 60 in Shanghai.

(Xinhua News Agency December 31, 2008)