Care Home operations is demanding work, it is not like a regular Facilities Management of a housing society, the service delivery in a Care Home directly impacts the safety, security and well-being of Elderly Residents.
Wherever there is any exchange of goods and services, it is natural to have complaints, I guess that’s a part of the feedback and improvement process for the Care Home.
The larger point of debate is, what are the Complaints Mechanism and redressal processes for Care Homes in India?
Since most private Senior Citizen Care Homes in India are charging anything between ₹75,000/- to ₹1,50,000/-, what is the safety net for residents who are not happy with the services?
Should the residents politely accept whatever is thrown at them or raise their voice and complain to the competent authorities?
Unfortunately in India there is no such National Level agency who can pull-up the Care Home operators who are not delivering the services promised to the residents (maybe Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment can shed some light).
Unfortunately due to lack of detailed National Standards and much needed relevant Legislative Acts, the Care Home operators are not sure which licences to apply, what are the Minimum National Standards and what are the legal implications in case of a complaint by a resident.
Internationally, Complaints Handling is a serious component, in many countries it is part of the Legislative requirement with serious implications in case of not respecting the rights and not addressing the complaints of residents.
The attached document, “Better practice guide to complaints handling in Aged Care Services”, by The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission, Australia is a good reference guide to begin with.
The Australian Government does not endorse or recommends the website Elderly Care India.
The document can be accessed on the website : https://www.agedcarequality.gov.au/