"Most of them are not very talkative and sometimes can't even hear me, but a smile is always the best way to communicate," said the volunteer.

Each selected local volunteer is responsible for at least 30 households and must take three professional training courses before carrying out the work, according to Zhong Tiehua, manager of the program.

"During regular visits of about three times a month, the volunteers keep the elderly company by chatting with them, sharing the latest news, learning about and solving their problems, as well as doing some housework," Zhong said.

Shidian has more than 58,000 elderly over 60 years old, over 16.7 percent of its total population, among which at least 3,700 live alone or rarely see their families.

"With the young heading to cities for jobs and opportunities, living alone has become a common occurrence in rural China," said Duan Yuyuan, head of the county's civil affairs bureau.

"Living in remote mountains, some of them have lost the abilities to take care for themselves due to aging and illness, and some were not even discovered to have passed away until several days after death," he added.

To keep the old company, Shidian has set up elderly centers and nursing homes where people can meet and talk, but it's not very effective as many rural seniors are reluctant to leave their homes and activities are just a one-time thing without long-lasting effects.

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