Living alone and relying on a cane to walk, 74-year-old Hongkonger Fan Chuen-tat plans to move into a care home as he grows older.

But he said he intended to leave the city and settle in a care facility in Guangdong province, drawn by the promise of bigger living spaces and lower costs across the border.

An expanded government scheme to subsidise care for elderly Hongkongers living in homes in the mainland Chinese province, as well as new incentives such as monthly allowances, have appealed to the former construction worker, who survives on Comprehensive Social Security Assistance payments of about HK$6,000 (US$773) a month.

“The mainland has bigger living spaces, unlike smaller, more expensive Hong Kong,” said Fan, who currently lives in a 200 sq ft (18.6 square metres) public housing flat in Yau Tong. He is divorced and has lost contact with his three adult sons, who have their own families.

Despite being willing to uproot, Fan said he still had concerns and remained hesitant.

“What will happen to us if we have emergencies and have to return to Hong Kong for treatment? What if the services across the border are not good? What if we cannot adapt to the new environment?” he said.

“It is, after all, a big decision to make.”