The Japan Model for Keralam? ❤️

India’s First Govt Department for Senior Citizens

Keralam Shows the Way!

#newspaperinlearning #literarygerontology #ageing

I happened to read a very insightful article in today’s The Times of India, by Sreemol on the establishment of India’s first dedicated government department for senior citizens in Keralam, to proactively manage its rapidly ageing population.

The state has the highest share of people aged above 60 years, and that’s only set to go up. Rising healthcare costs to growing concerns around loneliness, the challenges are cut out for the new dept under the Cong-led UDF, which had made it a poll promise, says Sreemol.

In fact, Keralam has become the first state in the country to have woken up to this reality of providing care for the elderly.

The key dynamics driving this change are as follows –

Keralam is experiencing a massive demographic shift driven by a declining birth rate and high youth migration.

Senior citizens already make up 23% of the state's voting demographic, and their overall population share is projected to hit 23% by 2036.

Experts warn that within 10 to 15 years, deaths in Kerala may exceed births, creating a society where many elderly parents are left living alone.

The new department aims to build community-based support - like geriatric clubs and resource groups - to ensure seniors remain socially connected, purposeful, and valued.

To build a sustainable system, the newly elected UDF government plans to study Japan’s highly successful eldercare framework.

So what’s the Japan Model?

WHAT JAPAN DOES

1. A mandatory public insurance system for citizens aged 40 and above. Covers 70% to 90% of institutional, home, or community care costs based on individual needs, shifting the financial burden away from families

2. Prioritises local care over prolonged hospital stays by integrating medical care, nursing, housing, and livelihood support within neighbourhoods

3. Nationwide blueprints that legally mandate local municipalities to construct senior day-care centres, specialised nursing homes, and support hubs

4. Coordinates public employment offices to provide tailored jobmatching, re-skilling, and flexible placement programmes for retirees who want to keep working

5. Uses nationwide screening tools to catch early signs of decline, funding community fitness and social initiatives to delay the need for intensive nursing care.

[New Zealand, Australia, Ireland and Canada, too, have dedicated departments for elderly people, quotes the author]

Dignity in old age is not only about pensions and hospitals, but also about companionship and a society structured to keep the elderly engaged, she further notes.

Again, “the true measure of any society can be found in how it treats its most vulnerable members”, said Mahatma Gandhi.

Even as Keralam lays down the blueprint for India’s care economy, it sends a clear and urgent message to the rest of the country, especially to Tamil Nadu, to establish such government departments for the elderly, where every senior citizen remains visible, valued, and profoundly connected!

PS: You may also want to read our past posts on Ageing and Society in our past blogposts below.

1. “The Elderly vis-à-vis the Youth”, an article by Shri R. Nataraj IPS, reviewed on our blog, dated 13th July 2021, HERE

2. “Kerala faces the threat of turning into a huge old-age home”, blogpost dated 25th October 2023, HERE.

3. “Blue Zones & Ageing”, on our blog dated 4th Nov 2023, HERE. 

4. “RBI’s Call for Urgent Reforms: Elderly Population Hits 19%”, on our blogpost dated 25th January 2026, HERE. 

5. “Sunset Years? Tamil Nadu is Ageing Fast”, on our blog dated 9th February 2026, HERE