A community worker measures the blood pressure of a resident at his home in Haimen district, Nantong. [Photo/ntfabu.com]

More than 5,000 senior residents in Haimen district, Nantong have benefited from door-to-door elderly care services since the program was launched on July 22, according to officials at the district's civil affairs bureau.

Wu Peiren, an 88-year-old who lives alone in Huinan village, was among the first to enjoy the services.

"I have four daughters who are nice to me. But they have their own families to take care of and I don't want to bother them," said Wu. 

"The service provided by the government has brought me a lot of convenience. I called to make an appointment and a worker came the next day to help measure my blood pressure and cut my toenails."

Statistics show that Haimen is currently home to 315,000 people aged above 60. This year, the local government will invest more than 28 million yuan ($4.06 million) to build elderly care service centers across the district.

According to Zhou Jian, an official in charge of the program, the door-to-door services include house cleaning, medical treatment, dining, transport, entertainment and baths.

Zhou said that the civil affairs bureau has been expanding the professional service team, with 200 workers currently being trained. The bureau is also recruiting more full-time and part-time workers to meet the increasing demand.