KOZHIKODE: It was a Monday morning, and Tezy Jose was hooked to her phone. The founder of Divine Charitable Trust — a non-profit working for patient welfare -- was tirelessly calling every old-age home she knew in the Malabar region. Her mission: To accommodate a 65-year-old woman recently abandoned by her three adult children.
But call after call ended with the same response: “No vacancy.”
“I was stunned,” Tezy said. “I’ve been in this field for more than a decade, but never have I faced such a situation. Every care home I reached out to had already exceeded capacity.” What began as a rescue effort for one woman quickly evolved into a distress call to the entire caregiving network Tezy had built over the years. She alerted fellow NGOs, support groups, and government officers, hoping someone, somewhere, had space for just one more mother.
This episode is no longer the exception: It’s fast becoming the norm across Kerala, particularly in the Malabar region. Old-age homes across the state are overwhelmed, with many formally shutting their doors to new admissions. The state, often hailed for its high human development indices, is now grappling with a silent emergency: Where do the elders go when families fade away?
According to the social justice department’s 2024 records, the number of old-age homes in the state surged to 722 — including 35 paid homes — housing over 22,180 inmates. By contrast, back in 2015, the state had only 502 homes with 14,642 residents. Between 2020 and 2024 alone, at least 12 new paid facilities were opened. But even this growing infrastructure has not kept pace with demand.
“We used to get two or three applications a month. Now, it’s easily 10-15 a week,” said Sr Annamma, a nun who manages a reputed home in Kozhikode. “But we simply do not have the space or manpower to take them all. The waiting list is heartbreaking.”
At ‘Home of Love’ in Kottooli, Sr Anupama shared a similar experience. “We’ve pushed our capacity from 85 to 92 just to help more people. But even then, enquiries keep pouring in. When we redirect them to other homes, the answer is the same everywhere: ‘We’re full.’”
Experts point to a deep societal transition. With Kerala’s youth migrating in large numbers for education and jobs, often settling abroad, the traditional joint family structure has crumbled. Elderly parents are increasingly left behind, with neither emotional nor physical support.
“In Malabar, where family care for the elderly was once a cultural cornerstone, we are witnessing a complete reversal,” said Dr P A Rahim, a sociologist at Kannur University. “Seniors themselves are initiating the move to old-age homes -- not because they want to, but because they have no other choice.”
A 2024 study by the Kerala Planning Board showed that nearly 20% of the state population is aged, 60 and above, with the number growing by 2.3% annually.
Adding complexity to the issue is the mushrooming of paid old-age homes. These facilities collect deposits and monthly fees that vary based on amenities offered: From basic rooms to private suites with medical staff, air conditioning, and recreation.
While these options work for the wealthy, they remain inaccessible for most seniors dependent on meagre pensions or support from welfare groups. “Charitable homes are still the primary option for the vulnerable elderly,” said Tezy. “But they’re now beyond capacity. We need urgent alternatives.”
Many social workers argue that the state has yet to catch up with this demographic shift. Anoop Gangadharan, founder of ‘Arm of Joy’, emphasised, “We must build senior-specific infrastructure. Day-care centres don’t solve the crisis -- they are underutilised and poorly planned. What we need are long-term, well-staffed, and sustainable elder care facilities.”
The government, meanwhile, is being urged to step in. Proposals include upgrading existing old-age homes with more beds and medical staff, incentivising private-public partnerships for affordable elder housing, creating a state-level elder welfare registry to monitor and support those at risk.
A lookback
2015 -The state had only 502 old-age homes with 14,642 residents
2024 -The number of old-age homes in the state surged to 722 — including 35 paid homes — housing over 22,180 inmates