For many years now migrant workers have flooded to China's cities looking for a better life. Recently here on BON we reported on the problem of the children that many of those workers leave behind. But at the other end of the scale are elderly parents who remain at home, sometimes ill-equipped to look after them selves.

Guiyang is the capital of one of China's poorest provinces, Guizhou. And it has its share of older people whose children have migrated to the cities – the so-called "empty nesters". Now authorities here have set up an initiative in communities around the city.

It aims to encourage neighbors to cooperate to help elderly "empty nesters". Those who live alone are asked to apply for "neighbor help cards" like this through community offices. These will then find volunteers to partner up with them and offer help when they need it.

The system has been running in the Hongyun resdienetial community for some time now.75-year-old Yu Jingyun and her husband are typical "empty nesters".