Building better facilities for the elderly and applying high standards of care will be critical as China deals with an increasingly old population, according to an official of the International Federation on Ageing.

"What we need to be sure of is that our parents will have quality care. So there will be no neglect, no abuse and no physical or mental damage," Jane Barrat, general secretary of the IFA, said in an interview at a forum on services for seniors in Beijing.

"The standards are important because they can enable old people to feel safe and secure and part of the community at nursing homes," she said.