Press briefing of Cabinet Decision taken on 2018-09-18

Strengthening Elder Care Facilities in Sri Lanka

- It has been projected that the elderly population in Sri Lanka will be doubled from the current level and reach the level of 24.8% of the total population by the year 2041. However, it has been observed that the access of the elderly people to the formal mechanism of social protection is very limited. Accordingly, as a remedial measure, the joint proposal made by Hon. Ranil Wickremasinghe, the Prime Minister in his capacity as the Minister of National Policies and Economic Affairs and Hon. Daya Gamage, the Minister of Social Welfare and Primary Industries, to introduce a methodology to establish Day Care Homes for elders with family, permanent stay homes for elders without family and wards in state hospitals under the care of Geriatric Specialists for elders who are severely disabled or bedridden and to implement necessary programmes to train around 10,000 elder care givers to cater the growing demand in the field of elder care and to implement the necessary programme and provide necessary facilities for same, was approved by the Cabinet.