Housing is a State subject in India. While Central Government can suggest standards and guidelines for setting up Elderly Care Homes, however it is the State Government who have to eventually look after the welfare of the elders especially w.r.t old age care.
As per the national level recommendations, each district should have an Elderly Care Home of 150 beds, unfortunately the reality is completely different.
Since there is no Accreditation and Standards agency to assist and monitor the development of the Aged Care Sector in India, hence enforcing any minimum national standards is a challenge.
The Manual on Old Age Homes by Dr. P. K. B. Nayar, Centre for Gerontological Studies was prepared for The Government of Kerala, Department of Social Justice. Though I would have personally preferred to call it Manual On Senior Citizens Home or Elderly Care Homes, however it is an exhaustive document which will definitely be of great help for the State and Philanthropic run elder care homes.
The manual covers a vast range of operational guidelines and standards, which if implemented in true spirit would improve the functioning of any Elderly Care Home.
Since the manual is prepared for the State run Elder Care Homes, I feel there are a few recommendations which are Institutional in nature and can be reviewed again. Overall it is a great document which can benefit a lot of senior living operators.
Thanking Dr.Nayar and the team for presenting such a structured manual. The document can be downloaded here or can be accessed below.