Shanghai will create a senior care service circle in downtown districts which will allow the elderly to enjoy meals, day care, or medical treatment services within 15 minutes from their homes, civil affairs authorities told a working conference on Thursday.

"Community-embedded senior care service is a priority of the city, and the target is to bring senior care services to people's fingertips," said Zhu Qinhao, director of the Shanghai Civil Affairs Bureau.

By 2022, there will be 1,600 community-based canteens for the elderly in the city, serving about 5 percent of the Shanghai's senior citizens above 65 years of age.

There should be 200 new venues providing meals for the elderly by the end of this year — the current 800 serve about 80,000 meals a day.

The construction of community-based nursing homes which provide short-term services to seniors will be beefed up this year too, Zhu said.

These centers have between 10 and 49 beds and mainly serve those living alone or suffering from physical disabilities. They also provide short-term care for seniors who develop illnesses and don’t have 24-hour care at home.

The city has set up 104 spots where senior care consultants offer advice on senior care resources and services to about 200,000 people. The goal is to have consultancy services available at every sub-district in the city this year.

In addition, authorities will tap the probability of turning spare resources in downtown areas into senior care facilities this year to satisfy the rising demand, Zhu said.

In addition, a comprehensive nursing system for seniors suffering from dementia will be built up, with standards on facility construction and accommodation assessment worked out, he said.

About 200,000 seniors in the city suffer from dementia, and that figure is rising.

City authorities have finished the rating of more than 170 senior care homes, part of efforts to create a senior care agency credibility system in Shanghai.

Senior care integration of the Yangtze River Delta region will be stepped up this year. Civil affairs authorities in the region will establish a joint senior care credibility system and information will be shared on blacklisted agencies and individuals.