BEIJING, July 1 (Xinhua) -- A revised version of the Law for the Protection of the Rights and Interests of the Elderly took effect on Monday, urging the relatives of elderly people to regularly visit and care for them.
The legislation is part of government efforts to address issues facing China's growing elderly population.
The amended law, adopted last December by the top legislature, specifies that relatives should attend to the needs of their elderly family members and those who live separately from their elderly relatives should visit them regularly.
The law also requires employers to grant leaves of absence to the relatives of elderly people in accordance with relevant regulations.
The law encourages family members to live with or close to their elderly relatives, demanding that the government provide the family members with aid to help them care for the elderly and create favorable conditions for elderly who move in with their family members.
Under the amended law, local governments are required to give preferential treatment to the elderly in terms of helping them obtain low-rent housing or public rental housing.
China had over 184 million people over the age of 60 by the end of 2011, accounting for 13.7 percent of the country's population, according to official data.
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