Liu Yulong, 74, cleans the center's canteen.[Photo by Yang Yang/China Daily]

Crumbling old structures

S uqian, with a population of about 5 million, used to be a major agricultural hub in northern Jiangsu province, but the local economy is now diversified and young people now work in the finance and the technology sectors as well.

Earlier, the elderly in the countryside typically relied on their children to take care of them.

But, with the country seeing a growing population of the elderly, the old structures seem to be crumbling, forcing the authorities to step in.

Over the last three years, the local government is focusing more on how to care for the aged.

Now, the local government is encouraging private investment in this field to supplement the public social welfare centers.

Kangyi is just one of the 11 privately owned nursing homes built in Suqian's Sucheng District that comprises nearly 720,000 people.

The local government provided a subsidy of 5,000 yuan per bed when Kangyi was built two years ago, adding to the private investment of nearly 20 million yuan.

Now, residents at Kangyi pay 1,500 yuan a month if they not need nursing services.

"We charge between 1,500 and 2,500 yuan for nursing services," says Liu Peichao, 47, Kangyi's director.