Local governments will now be required to conduct weekly home visits to elderly people who live in their homes – around 50,000 people this year – as the city struggles to deal with a shortage of aged care homes.

Beijing has 3.5 million residents aged over 60, and 9.8% live alone.

The visits will be done by sub-district offices, township governments, or elderly care organisations.

It’s just one of a number of measures taken by the city to improve in-home care for its older citizens, including funding for safety features such as handrails, wheelchair friendly lifts and emergency call devices.