Eldercare services to become more affordable, accessible and reliable

The Ministry of Civil Affairs will draft a spectrum of policies from land acquisition to financing to talent in an attempt to bolster the supply of affordable, accessible and reliable services for the fast-growing elder population, a ministry official said on Friday.

Efforts will be made to let market play the "decisive role" in the distribution of eldercare resources, said Li Banghua, deputy head of the ministry's eldercare service department.

The move is part of an effort by central authorities to develop basic eldercare services as the demography rapidly ages, he said, adding that the ministry will also ensure that every county-level region has at least one nursing home for financially strapped seniors by end of the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-25).