Awaiting the visit from his local country doctor to pay him a visit to his remote French farmhouse, an elderly gentleman sits alone in his favourite armchair. Uncertain what the future may hold, the man is old and frail and he looks down to the floor of this front room with worry across his face. He is suffering from cancer and may not live long but the presence of another human being, especially a doctor, is a small comfort from. Someone to share his concerns with and to seek advice from this terminal condition. It is a bright summer morning but even with the sun, it's a gloomy part of the house in which he lives alone. | Location: Ban de Laveline, Vosges, Lorraine, France. (Photo by Richard Baker/In Pictures Ltd./Corbis via Getty Images)
The Mingshen Nursing Home in Northern Shanghai opened in 1999. This facility has about 350 beds, and there are already 327 residents. They pay an average of about US$100 per month to stay there. Some residents pay more for extra services or comfort. The old age home is run by Zhang Minsheng who also runs two other similar operations in southern China, Hainan Island and Shenzhen. Growing old is becoming big business in China as the country is facing a crisis with their rapidly aging population. The problem is significantly worse than the aging baby boom generation in Europe and North America. China?s One Child Policy has added to this problem as the burden of elderly parents is planted squarely on the shoulders of an only child. (Photo by Ryan Pyle/Corbis via Getty Images)