Published Oct 13, 2026 | 7:24 AM ⚊ Updated Oct 13, 2026 | 7:24 AM
It emphasises the right of senior citizens to remain in their own homes for as long as possible.
Synopsis: The UDF government is set to table the Keralam Senior Citizens (Care and Protection of Rights) Bill, 2026, in the state Assembly on Tuesday. The legislations aims to regulate home-care agencies, nursing services and caregiver training centres, with common standards. The Bill proposes mandatory caregiver training, certification and police verification, a 48-hour deadline for reporting suspected abuse in specified cases, and measures to improve access to healthcare, digital services and home-based care.
The UDF government is set to introduce the Keralam Senior Citizens (Care and Protection of Rights) Bill, 2026, in the state Assembly on Tuesday, 13 October, proposing a system to register, regulate and monitor home-care agencies, home nursing services and caregiver training centres.
Chief Minister VD Satheesan announced the proposed legislation on Saturday. It seeks to establish common standards for these services, ensure trained caregivers for senior citizens, and protect the elderly from neglect, abuse and exploitation. It provides for penalties, including fines and imprisonment, for violations of its provisions.
The Bill also sets out measures to ensure care for elderly people who are bedridden, terminally ill or living with chronic illnesses and dementia.
The proposed law addresses the growing need for home-based care in Keralam, where many senior citizens live on their own as their children and other family members move abroad for employment or education.
For elderly people living alone, particularly those with limited family or social support, home-based care often provides the means to remain in familiar surroundings while receiving assistance with daily activities and medical needs.
However, the absence of specific guidelines governing home-care agencies and caregiver services has left the sector without uniform standards. The proposed registration, regulation and monitoring system seeks to bring these services under a common framework.
Also Read: New Governors: Arlekar goes to TN, Keralam gets Prakash Mathur, Dr Sudha Yadav in Karnataka
The Bill sets out fundamental principles to guide the government, local self-government institutions and agencies implementing its provisions. It calls for the protection of senior citizens from exploitation, discrimination and physical or mental abuse, irrespective of their age, gender, disability, ethnic background or financial status.
It emphasises the right of senior citizens to remain in their own homes for as long as possible, with adequate support from family members, relatives or legal heirs. Institutional care is envisaged as a last resort.
The Bill identifies the lack of a structured caregiver training system as a concern, particularly for those caring for bedridden and terminally ill patients and elderly people with chronic illnesses, physical or mental health conditions, and dementia.
Many senior citizens require nursing, palliative and personal care beyond basic assistance. These services can be expensive but are often indispensable for families unable to provide round-the-clock support.
The proposed framework also calls for access to healthcare that protects the physical, mental and emotional well-being of senior citizens. Decisions concerning them must reflect their best interests, with supported decision-making preferred over others making decisions on their behalf.
The Bill also seeks to establish an integrated health and social care system that promotes disease prevention, healthy ageing and community participation.
It recognises the need to provide senior citizens with opportunities to work or earn an income, along with support for food, housing, healthcare, insurance and retirement planning.
The proposed law upholds their right to make decisions about their care and quality of life, while respecting their beliefs, needs, privacy and dignity. It also provides for matters relating to a living will under future guidelines.
The proposed Bill also mandates registered medical practitioners and senior citizen care centres to report suspected abuse or exploitation to the district-level Senior Citizen Protection Unit.
Reports must be filed within 48 hours when medical examinations indicate that denial of food, water or medication could cause serious harm, or when injuries are inconsistent with the explanation given.
It also seeks to improve access to online services for senior citizens and strengthen measures against cyber fraud.
Under the proposed provisions, government portals must have accessible interfaces with larger fonts, voice assistance and high-contrast displays. Non-digital alternatives must also be available to those unable to use online platforms. These provisions cover banking, telemedicine, education and access to Right to Information resources.
The Bill proposes digital literacy programmes for senior citizens through multi-service day-care centres, known as ‘Day Homes’, and other designated locations.
To address cyber fraud, specialised police cyber cells would be required to prioritise complaints from senior citizens. Financial institutions would also be encouraged to introduce safeguards, including transaction alerts and optional notifications to a secondary contact.
Also Read: Vigilance registers two FIRs naming Pinarayi, Veena and Riyas; ex-CM to challenge move
Caregivers looking after senior citizens in Kerala may have to undergo prescribed training, obtain certification and submit police and medical verification certificates before registering with service agencies under the proposed Bill.
The legislation envisages a Kerala Senior Citizen Care Certification Framework to standardise training and set eligibility requirements for people entering the sector. The government will prescribe a common geriatric care curriculum for training centres. Training may be provided by the government, service providers, home-care agencies or recognised non-governmental organisations.
Home-care agencies and other service providers will be required to deploy only trained caregivers and ensure they obtain certification within the prescribed timeframe. The government will also issue guidelines on the duration and fees of training, remuneration, service conditions and standards of care.
The proposed framework mandates police clearance, to be renewed at intervals not exceeding one year, for caregivers working in residential care centres or providing live-in care to senior citizens living alone.
Certified caregivers will be registered with the State Senior Citizen Protection Unit and listed in a publicly searchable State Register of Caregivers.
The register will display their certification, its validity and registration status, including any suspension or cancellation. Other personal details will not be disclosed.
Also Read: Forgotten stones, hidden caves and buried stories: Kasaragod digs into its past
Abandoning a senior citizen at a care home or elsewhere without their consent, with the intention of forsaking them, could attract up to three years’ imprisonment, a fine of ₹50,000, or both under the proposed legislation.
The Bill also provides for penalties for the physical and mental abuse of senior citizens. Family members, relatives, legal heirs, care centre authorities, employees and caregivers found guilty of cruelty could face up to three years in prison and a fine of ₹50,000.
The proposed law defines cruelty to include acts that endanger an elderly person’s life or health, cause serious harm, or coerce them into meeting unlawful demands involving property or valuable securities.
Operating a senior citizen care centre without mandatory registration could attract up to one year in prison, a fine of ₹25,000, or both. The same penalty would apply to centres that continue operating after their registration expires or is cancelled.
Those who deliberately obstruct the implementation of the proposed law, or instigate such obstruction, could face up to two years in prison and a fine of ₹25,000.
Misappropriating a resident’s property while in charge of a care centre could attract up to three years’ imprisonment and a fine of ₹50,000. The Bill thus proposes penalties for abuse and abandonment as well as for violations of registration requirements and the misuse of residents’ property.
(Edited by Dese Gowda)
