According to the Ministry of civil affairs, the rural elderly population is 1.24 percent larger than its urban counterpart in China. And by 2028, the discrepancy is projected to increase to 11 percent. This means that providing better care for the rural elderly is a serious issue.

Currently, people over 60 in rural areas are given 55 yuan a month as a government subsidy. Is this an effective amount? Du Qingde is an elderly man in Hebei Province. He says 55 yuan is far from enough.

"Every month I get 55 yuan in subsidies. It's hard to say if it's enough for me. I can tell you that I have to pay dozens of yuan for my medical treatment and pills every month."

Some elderly people mainly rely on their children when they are no longer able to work. Zhang Qilin in Hebei province is one of them.

"Currently, I rely on my three sons and one daughter. Also, I get a 55 yuan government subsidy every month. When I need money, my son gives it to me."

The elderly in rural areas say they are lonely, especially those whose children have moved to the cities.

80-year-old widow Cheng Xifeng in Hebei Province decided to move to a newly constructed senior center in her village. She says that, although her daughters didn't want her to move there, she insisted because she has friends in the senior care center, a place where she can chat or play cards with people her age.

"I enjoy living here. It's comfortable. And I am being taken care of."

Wang Aiyun, who also lives at the center, agrees. She says she gets good meals and feels happy here.

Different from other nursing homes, this senior center was constructed by the local village. And the meal and medication expenses is paid by their children. There is also no staff in the senior center. The elderly help each other.

Li Baoshan lives in the center.

"Living in the senior center, I don't need to pay for accommodation or electricity. But I hope a canteen will be established in the future so that we don't have to cook for ourselves."

Currently, the senior center only accepts single seniors. Being operated by the village, it's hard to meet all the demands of senior care. The village has a population of 1,500, of which, 40 to 50 are single seniors. The center can only accommodate 25.

Apart from the shortage of beds for local seniors, cost is another challenge for the center. Currently, all the operation costs such as electricity, water and heating are paid collectively by the village. In addition, the local government provides a 350 yuan subsidy every year for each senior in the center. But it's still far from enough.

Cai Qingyang, the head of the village, says.

"That's not enough. The senior center was opened in May 2008. At that time, this money worked. However, the same budget is no longer enough, as the cost of living has been raised. You can take a look at our canteen. You'll see fridge, disinfector oven and gas stove. These all increased our costs. Last year, we lost about 5000 yuan in the operation of the center."

Media reports say that, from 2011 to 2015, the government will allocate more funds and resources to provide better care for the rural elderly. And, the government aims to have 50 percent of rural communities equipped with basic elderly-friendly facilities by the end of 2015.

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