Nursing homes to cover Beijing's elderly population

More than 10,000 beds will be added to nursing homes to support the aging city of Beijing, according to the municipal civil affairs bureau on Tuesday. 

The total number of nursing home beds will reach 100,000, coming up to international standards, which say 4% of senior citizens should live in nursing homes, according to Li Wanjun, director of the bureau.

Beijing is home to 2.5 million people aged over 60, accounting for 20% of the population. 

The new beds will mainly cover the suburbs and outer suburban districts like Haidian, Miyun and Fangshan. No new homes are likely to be built in downtown areas because of the lack of real estate.

Private homes are encouraged with government financing and lands. The government will pay 40,000 to 50,000 yuan for each bed built by private homes, compared with no more than 16,000 yuan in the past.

According to Li, community nursing homes are being considered to cover most of the residential areas in the city to ensure proximity to residents.