Pricey nursing homes

According to a survey by the Beijing branch of the State Statistics Bureau, the monthly fees at nursing institutions are too expensive for more than 80 percent of the elderly population, the Beijing Evening News reported.

According to the survey, 83.1 percent of elderly urbanites cannot afford to pay more than 3,000 yuan a month; 73.9 percent of seniors in rural areas can only afford 1,000 yuan a month. However, the monthly fee exceeds 3,000 yuan for nursing institutions in the city and 1,800 yuan in rural areas.

Beijing's 2.868 million permanent residents over the age of 60 amounts to 13.8 percent of the total population. The survey also showed that 88.1 percent of interviewees prefer home-based care, and that 92.2 percent of interviewees over 80 do choose home-based care.