Kerala wants to ‘develop an army of caregivers’

Taking part in a panel discussion, Kudumbashree Mission executive director Jafar Malik said Kudumbashree – a poverty alleviation and women empowerment programme – can be mobilised to meet the demand for caregiving. Under Kudumbashree, lakhs of women from across the state are employed in various income-generating fields, including waste management.

“We are going to develop an army of caregivers in all districts. The pilot scheme will be launched in Pathanamthitta district, which has a high proportion of elderly people in its population,” Malik said.

He told the conclave that caregiving as a profession has great potential in Kerala and that a successful business model could be created around it. Kudumbashree will give training and financial assistance to women who want to become caregivers, he said.

“We already have a successful model in non-biodegradable waste management in all local civic bodies in the state, where women work as part of the Haritha Karma Sena (Green Army). Like members of the Haritha Karma Sena, the caregivers will enjoy (high) social status and a good income,” he said.

Former Kerala DGP Jacob Punnose also took part in discussions at the conclave, and said the loneliness among elderly relatives of expatriates was a major issue in Kerala. It is high time their care became an organised movement in the state, he said.

The state’s former chief secretary Dr S M Vijayanand said Kerala should develop a new model for care giving. “We have a lot to learn from the palliative movement, which Kerala showcased before the world. Elderly people from expatriates’ families are looking for social inclusion. They should get facilities to share their thoughts. The existing old age homes will not be enough to address the issue. There should be an elderly citizens’ charter,” he said.

Several participants pointed out that many expatriates were going through mental trauma due to their parents living alone back home. On several occasions, they are forced to return and look after their elderly relatives.

Many also pointed out that many people from Kerala were working as caregivers in foreign countries, and that their expertise could be tapped into in order to develop the state’s caregiving model. The idea of forming a consortium of non-resident Indians to deal with providing care was also mooted in the discussion.

The Migration Conclave is organised by the AKG Centre for Research and Studies, Thiruvananthapuram, in association with the VS Chandrasekharan Pillai Centre for Research and Studies, Pathanamthitta. “The role of diaspora in transforming Kerala into a knowledge society, care of the aged in expatriate homes, role of expatriates in improving the standards of higher education in the state, skill training and entrepreneurship”, are among the topics for debate at the conclave.

AKG Centre for Research and Studies director Dr Thomas Isaac, who is also a CPI(M) central committee member, said the conclave would prepare a roadmap to implement all practical suggestions. “On the elderly care, we require demand mapping, and customised service,” he said.