A caregiver employed by Xiaobo Homecare helps an 86-year-old Shanghai resident to sit stably on sofa. The senior's daughter hired the caregiver to assist her mother as she recovers from a stroke. [Photo by Gao Erqiang/China Daily]

Last month, when Chang Fei hired a professional caregiver to assist her 86-year-old mother who had been hospitalized after a stroke, the Shanghai resident quickly discovered that the woman was completely different to any nanny she had encountered before.

"She has a deep knowledge of commonly used medicines and knows how to judge the condition of my mother's health by looking at her stools. She also checks my mother's heart rate and blood pres-sure twice a day. We're very satisfied and grateful," the 55-year-old said.

Her mother was discharged from the hospital after a week, and now stays at home accompanied by her caregiver.

Chang was Xiaobo Homecare's first client in Shanghai after the provider of professional homecare services for the elderly began operations in the city last month. According to a company representative, its hotline has been inundated by Shanghai residents inquiring about its services and requesting assistance.

Xiaobo started providing its services, which cost 300 yuan ($44) a day, in Ningbo, Zhejiang province, a year ago. It's just one of 12 care-service providers that have appeared in recent years as a response to the rapid aging of the Chinese population and the trend for smaller families, which has affected people's ability to care for seniors.