BEIJING, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- China has rolled out a nationwide subsidy program to support elderly people with disabilities who purchase care services, authorities announced Thursday, as part of efforts to ease family burdens and build a more senior-friendly society.

The program, starting on Jan. 1, was launched by the Ministry of Civil Affairs and the Ministry of Finance. It provides seniors who have difficulty taking care of themselves with monthly electronic vouchers over 12 months, partly offsetting costs for home-based, community-based and institutional elderly care services.

The vouchers, worth up to 800 yuan (about 114 U.S. dollars) per person per month, can be used to cover a wide range of services such as meal assistance, bathing assistance, housekeeping assistance, mobility support, emergency aid, medical assistance, rehabilitation nursing, and daytime care.

During a pilot phase last year, eligible seniors in four Chinese cities and three provincial-level regions -- including Shandong, one of China's most populous provinces -- received a total of 365,100 elderly care service vouchers. These vouchers were used over 240,000 times, with the total value redeemed exceeding 180 million yuan, benefiting tens of thousands of households.

In Xi'an City of northwest China's Shaanxi Province, a senior resident surnamed Sun recently received the first vouchers issued in the province, which she used to cover some of her husband's care fees. He lives in a local care center due to a cerebral infarction and Alzheimer's disease.

"What a great start to the year. My husband's stay at the institution costs 4,500 yuan a month. But now we can save 800 yuan each month," she told Xinhua.

The voucher initiative comes amid increasingly serious elderly care challenges in China. Data shows that by the end of 2024, the number of elderly people who experience difficulty in caring for themselves had hit 35 million, accounting for 11 percent of the total elderly population. By 2035, that demographic is projected to reach 46 million.

Du Peng, dean of the School of Population and Health at Renmin University of China, said the subsidies will help ease the financial burden on families caring for disabled seniors and improve quality of life among the elderly.

"By providing subsidies directly to seniors in need, this approach not only unlocks real demand for both home-based and institutional care, but also encourages service providers to upgrade their offerings, injecting momentum into the high-quality development of the elderly care industry," Du said.

The program aligns with China's broader policy goals as the country adapts to its aging population. According to official statistics, China's population aged 60 and above surpassed 310 million in 2024 and is forecast to exceed 400 million by 2035.

According to the recommendations for the formulation of China's 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030) for national economic and social development, China should aim to respond actively to population aging with measures such as those to roll out insurance schemes for long-term care, improve the care system for seniors with functional impairments, and expand rehabilitation services and hospice care. ■