A pilot insurance program for senior citizens needing long-term nursing care will expand from three districts to the entire city from January 1.

The program targets citizens aged 60 or more who need long-term care no matter where they stay — at home, nursing homes or hospitals — as long as they are covered by public medical insurance.

There are more than 4.3 million citizens aged over 60 in Shanghai, or 30 percent of the population with permanent residence permits, while 7 percent of the senior citizens have partly or completely lost the ability to care for themselves and need long-term nursing services.