With China facing a rapidly aging population, more senior citizens are hoping to be cared for at nursing homes. But it's an uphill battle for the elderly as places in care homes are becoming ever more scarce.

Ningbo Social Welfare Service Center is a public nursing home, with 300 senior citizens enjoying their winter years here. But for 83-year-old Lu Qingkang, the chances of securing a residential place are getting slimmer.

Again, Lu Qingkang leaves disappointed. He's not alone and is one of thousands applying for a bed. There are so many applying, the waiting list in some areas is up to ten years.

Ding Yi, Ningbo Social Welfare Service Center, said, "Now there are 300 senior citizens living here, and more than a thousand people waiting for beds - four times as much as we can bear."

17 percent of residents in Ningbo are above 60 years old. And 150 thousand among them are over 80. The city is turning into an aging society.

Chen Zaoting, Endowment Guidance Center, said, "We all know the family structure is changing in China. A young couple have to nurse at least four elders, sometimes even six or eight. So the function of family nursing is decreasing. A trend has started where more senior citizens require nursing, so more nursing institutions are needed."

However, such institutions are far from enough. In Ningbo, there are only 156 nursing homes in total, which can house less than 30 thousand senior citizens. That means, only three old people out of 100 have the chance to live in a care home. And it's even worse in other areas of Zhejiang Province.

Wang Ping, Ningbo Social Welfare Service Center, said, "Residents tend to stay until the end of their lives, so generally, only 40 to 50 beds become available each year. The queue is getting longer and longer now, so some people have died before they're given a bed."

And the problem is only getting worse as China's population ages.

小Car笔记： 

a rapidly aging population：人口迅速老化
nursing homes：养老院
ever more：永远，指始终
Ningbo Social Welfare Service Center：宁波市的社会福利服务中心
aging society：老龄化社会
Endowment Guidance Center：养老指导中心
family structure：家庭结构
family nursing ：家庭护理
China's population ages：中国的人口老龄化

口译备考之看英语视频练复述系列>>