Keralam unveils 12-step action plan for elderly care

Kerala Chief Minister VD Satheesan and Transport Minister CP John at an International Senior Citizens Day event in Thiruvananthapuram on Thursday on the complaints of an elderly woman. | Photo credit: NIRMAL HARINDRAN

Keralam unveiled the ‘Comprehensive Elderly Care Action Plan’, which envisages 12 levels of stakeholder intervention, along with timelines, to address the needs of the aging population in the state and strengthen geriatric care infrastructure.

Health Minister K. Muraleedharan presented the action plan, which provides a framework for healthy ageing, functional ability and social and mental well-being, to Chief Minister VD Satheesan on the occasion of the International Day of Older Persons on Thursday.

The action plan identifies individuals, families, community volunteers and neighborhoods as key stakeholders that support the primary health system – ASHAs, family health centres, Janakeeya Arogya Kendram, local governments and small private providers. The primary care system should follow the secondary system in community health centers and large government and non-government hospitals.

This category of interventions includes providing adequate personalized care and resources, including nutrition, medication and social security measures, promoting physical and cognitive activities, developing awareness of the legal rights of older people, and using basic digital technologies for everyday life.

Interventions at the neighborhood/ward level include supporting social engagement programs for seniors; building older people’s capacity for self-assessment and awareness of health risks/diseases; developing awareness of financial fraud, safe banking practices and making wills; identification of volunteers willing to participate in activities in the field of care for the elderly; and creating neighborhood groups to promote physical and cognitive activity.

Ward level teams in coordination with ASHA form the third level of intervention. They are tasked with annual health screening using the SHAILI app with specifically identified vulnerable elderly living alone and monthly home visits for all bedridden seniors.

Other levels of intervention include the Janakeeya Arogya Kendram teams, which are coordinated by mid-level service providers; primary health care facilities; local government department level; secondary care team/block level; large hospitals, including private hospitals; non-governmental organizations / community organizations; nursing homes and hospices; district level; and state level.

The action plan is built around the framework of four categories: bedridden seniors, homebound seniors, chronically ill seniors and active seniors, each with different care methods tailored to their specific needs. By adopting this categorization, the plan establishes a continuum of care and ensures that no older person is left behind.

Published – 01 Oct 2026 21:31 IST