Bill proposes three-year jail, Rs 50,000 fine for abandoning, abusing elderly in Kerala

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Seeking to guarantee elderly people’s rights, dignity, safety and access to care, the Keralam Senior Citizens’ (Care and Protection of Rights) Bill, 2026, tabled in the assembly, provides for up to three years’ imprisonment and a fine of Rs 50,000 for abandoning or abusing them.

Chief Minister V D Satheesan, who piloted the bill, said caregiver training courses would be introduced from the next academic year to meet the growing demand for elderly care and create job opportunities. The proposed courses could be offered through government and private institutions, with six-month or one-year certificate programmes under consideration.

The bill mandates reporting suspected abuse, with a 48-hour deadline in specified cases where medical examination indicates denial of food, water or medication likely to cause significant harm, or injuries inconsistent with the explanation provided. Medical practitioners and registered care centres would be required to report suspected abuse, neglect or exploitation to the district-level protection unit.

It provides for the registration and regulation of senior citizen care centres, with existing centres required to apply for registration within 90 days of the Act’s commencement. A caregiver certification framework and a searchable public register of certified caregivers are also proposed. Caregivers would be entitled to minimum-wage protection, safe working conditions, protection against harassment and exploitation, and applicable social security benefits.

The legislation envisages senior-friendly features in newly constructed residential buildings, geriatric outpatient departments and clinics, regional geriatric centres, and mobile medical units for isolated and remote areas, particularly tribal settlements.

It also provides for respite and hospice care and specialised care centres for people with Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, Parkinson’s disease and other neurodegenerative or cognitive disorders.

The bill proposes priority access to government or local-body care centres for vulnerable elderly women, including widows, abandoned women, survivors of violence, and homeless or destitute women. It also provides for support and coordination for senior citizens targeted by cyber fraud, including fraud involving artificial intelligence-generated content, and fast-track mechanisms to address such cases.

Safeguards are proposed for voluntary donations of property or funds by care-centre residents, including an inquiry and arrangements in the presence of the district magistrate. The bill also provides for living wills recording preferences concerning end-of-life medical care.

Free legal aid and legal literacy to protect their rights

Affordable mobility aids, hearing aids and spectacles

Digital services and accessibility features

Priority access to safe, accessible public spaces

Long-term care insurance availability and affordability

Police verification, periodic refresher training for caregivers

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