Keralam to Start Caregiving Courses from Next Academic Year: CM

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:
The state government is planning to start certificate courses in caregiving of senior citizens from the next academic year, besides imparting training to existing caregivers and upgrading the palliative care system in local bodies to ensure the well-being of the elderly persons, Chief Minister V D Satheesan said here today.

Satheesan was addressing a session on the project ‘Keralam Silver Economy’ on the sidelines of the ‘Reimagining Keralam’ initiative that features a series of Round Table Conferences (RTCs) to evolve the framework for fast-tracking the transformational projects announced by the State Government in the 2026-27 Budget.

Minister for Women and Child Development, Animal Husbandry and Dairy Development, Bindhu Krishna, was also present at the session, chaired by Dr Rathan U Kelkar, Secretary to Chief Minister and Secretary of Department of Senior Citizens’ Welfare.

The session was organised by the Elderly Welfare Department.

Noting that ‘nobody should be alone’ is the dream of the government, the Chief Minister said as part of starting the caregiving courses, the syllabi from UK, Germany, and Australia will be integrated into Keralam’s socio-economic context.

“From the next academic year onwards, we can start these caregiving courses. All the medical colleges, nursing colleges and private hospitals with sufficient facilities can start this certificate course of six months’ duration followed by one-year internship. It will also lead to employment generation,” Satheesan said.

Elaborating on projects like ‘One Kerala, Karuthal Mission’ conceived by the government for the elderly, he said Keralam is the first state in India to set up a department for senior citizens. “In our society, the population of youngsters are becoming very thin due to demographic reasons and brain drain. We have to factor in the demographic shift of the next 10 years while drawing up our future plans,” he said.

The Chief Minister suggested that the expertise of senior citizens can be leveraged for guiding startups and they can also act as techno-mentors or management mentors to youngsters to guide the ventures started by youngsters.

On improving the care provided for senior citizens, Satheesan said the palliative care system in the local bodies will be upgraded and training provided for existing caregivers in panchayats. Creating a database of persons needing care in local bodies has already begun.

The Chief Minister also proposed a tripartite arrangement with the involvement of government, LSGD and other organizations to buttress the caregiving activities.

Satheesan added that in old age care, Keralam is gearing up to set a model by following the standards set by WHO.

Bindhu Krishna said the proportion of senior citizens in our total population is steadily increasing and this demographic transition is often viewed as a social challenge glossing over significant economic opportunities it promises.

The Minister said the core idea of silver economy is to look at a senior citizen not merely as a social welfare category or as a consumer, but as a person whose knowledge, experience, skill, time, and financial resources can contribute to the creation of new employment and entrepreneurial opportunities.

“The Labour Department can play a key role in creating job opportunities for senior workers by preparing a senior talent registry. The experience of retired teachers, technicians, accountants, craftsmen, managers, professionals, and experts in various fields can contribute to the benefit of society,” she noted.

The minister noted that there is also scope for developing a dedicated silver economy employment platform that could bring together senior citizens and care workers seeking employment on one side, and opportunities in elderly care, home support, consultancy, mentoring, and part-time employment on the other.

In another session on ‘Building A Keralam Where Older persons can Age with,’ G Vijayaraghavan, Member, State Planning Board, made a presentation on a set of long-term projects, which could be considered for the welfare of senior citizens.

The September 16-18 event brings together ministers, top bureaucrats, domain experts, representatives of government departments and agencies, regulatory authorities, knowledge institutions, industry, funding agencies and stakeholders from multiple sectors to give concrete shape to the project proposals, setting them on clearly defined implementation pathways.