Singapore nursing homes face bed crunch

 　　SINGAPORE, July 3 (Xinhua) -- The over 60 nursing homes in Singapore, especially those run by voluntary welfare organizations, are facing a bed crunch¹, local daily Straits Times reported on Sunday.

　　The newspaper found in a check with 20 homes that more than half of the nursing homes were running at full or almost full capacity. Homes run by voluntary welfare organizations, where there are subsidized beds, have long waiting lists.

　　The average waiting time for a bed in nursing homes run by voluntary welfare organizations rose from 50 days in 2008 to about 60 days early last year, the newspaper said.

　　It is easier to get a bed in a privately² run home, though only slightly and if you can afford it. Econ Healthcare Group, which runs eight nursing homes in Singapore, said the occupancy rate is 99 percent and it has waiting lists of up to 20 people at some branches.

　　Demand for nursing homes in the city state can only grow given the aging population. By 2030, the number of people aged³ 65 or above is projected to reach 900,000, or one in every five residents.(本文由在线英语听力室整理编辑)

1 crunch   

n.关键时刻；艰难局面；v.发出碎裂声

参考例句：

• If it comes to the crunch they'll support us.关键时刻他们是会支持我们的。
• People who crunch nuts at the movies can be very annoying.看电影时嘎吱作声地嚼干果的人会使人十分讨厌。

2 privately   

adv.以私人的身份，悄悄地，私下地

参考例句：

• Some ministers admit privately that unemployment could continue to rise.一些部长私下承认失业率可能继续升高。
• The man privately admits that his motive is profits.那人私下承认他的动机是为了牟利。

3 aged   

adj.年老的，陈年的

参考例句：

• He had put on weight and aged a little.他胖了，也老点了。
• He is aged,but his memory is still good.他已年老，然而记忆力还好。