Keralam launches scheme to assess services for elderly as state rapidly ages

The Kerala government introduced the Elder‑Friendly Office Certification (EFOC) on Friday, a new scheme designed to assess whether public offices and institutions are genuinely accessible to senior citizens. The announcement came from the Chief Minister's Office, which highlighted the program as the first dedicated certification system of its kind in India, building on international age‑friendly models such as the Sharjah model, the WHO Age‑Friendly Cities framework, and the US Certified Age‑Friendly Employer programme.

Under the plan, a pilot involving 14 offices—one in each of Kerala's districts—will be conducted over the next six months. Offices that voluntarily participate, including government, quasi‑government and private entities, can earn one of three certification levels based on standards covering building accessibility, service delivery, staff conduct, communication and senior citizen participation. Mandatory criteria include step‑free entry, a ground‑floor toilet, a priority queue and a designated officer for elderly needs. After the pilot, the scheme will expand in its second year to village, taluk and collectorate offices, treasuries, RTOs and government hospitals, with further extensions to other institutions from the third year onward.

Kerala is undergoing a demographic shift comparable to that of East Asian and European nations, with 16.5% of its residents already over 60 and projections indicating a rise to 20.9% by 2031. The old‑age dependency ratio has climbed from 19.6% in 2011 to 26.1% in 2021, and is expected to reach 34.3% by 2031. The number of residents in state‑run old‑age homes more than doubled from 19,149 in 2016‑17 to 37,895 in 2024‑25. By establishing a systematic assessment of accessibility, the EFOC scheme seeks to address long‑standing challenges such as long queues, inadequate seating, and inaccessible service counters, thereby improving the overall experience for Kerala’s senior citizens.