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Vidarbha's Elderly Care Faces New Rules and Challenges

Two elderly hands clasped together showing Vidarbha's Elderly Care Faces New Rules and Challenges.
Vidarbha's Elderly Care Faces New Rules and Challenges

The Supreme Court's directive on 2 July 2025, mandating all states to establish clear regulations for old-age homes, healthcare, and monthly maintenance under the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, has thrust the spotlight on regions grappling with inadequate elderly care infrastructure.


Vidarbha, a region characterised by its socio-economic challenges, faces particular scrutiny as the ruling exposes the stark reality of elderly individuals living alone and the varying conditions of care facilities across the area.


The directive arrives at a time when Maharashtra's ambitious housing policies and national programmes are attempting to address these longstanding gaps in senior care across the region's eleven districts.


Elderly Living Alone in Vidarbha


Rural areas across Vidarbha present a concerning picture of elderly individuals struggling with isolation and inadequate support systems.


A comprehensive 2018 study conducted in villages around Bhidi Rural Health and Training Centre in Wardha, published in the Indian Journal of Palliative Care, documented the experiences of people aged over 65 who had lived alone for at least two years.


The research uncovered a troubling pattern of poverty, inadequate nutrition, and persistent health issues amongst this vulnerable population throughout the region.


The study participants revealed their reliance on desperate coping mechanisms to survive. Many resort to begging for food, seeking treatment at government hospitals, or accessing limited financial aid through schemes like the Sanjay Gandhi Niradhar Yojana, which provides 600 rupees per month to elderly individuals below the poverty line.

However, the research highlighted significant concerns about the untimely distribution and insufficient amount of this aid, leaving numerous elderly residents struggling to meet their most basic needs.


The absence of family support compounds their vulnerability, with study participants expressing a pressing need for societal spaces that foster inclusion and government interventions such as free healthcare and enhanced pensions.


These findings reflect the broader challenges faced by elderly individuals living alone across Vidarbha's districts.


The research highlighted that many elderly residents in rural Vidarbha face significant hardships due to limited family, social, and financial support.


The study's participants frequently accessed government hospitals and relied on minimal financial assistance, demonstrating the inadequate safety net available to vulnerable senior citizens across the region.


Vidarbha Old-Age Homes: Inconsistent Standards and Maintenance Issues


Old-age homes throughout Vidarbha serve as critical support systems for elderly individuals without family care, yet their conditions demonstrate significant inconsistencies.


The Matru Seva Sangh Panchvati Vriddhashram in Nagpur stands as one of the region's prominent facilities, accommodating up to 100 residents in separate living spaces for men and women. The home provides basic services including meals, medical checkups, and private cottages set within a natural environment.


National standards for senior citizen homes, outlined by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, mandate trained and qualified caregivers, a supervisor with a graduate degree, and no staff vacancies.

Additional requirements include supplementary staff such as yoga instructors, physiotherapists, and dieticians to ensure comprehensive care. Despite these standards, specific data on overcrowding or staff shortages in Vidarbha's old-age homes remains scarce.

A 2009 Tata Trusts study, estimated that Maharashtra had 133 old-age homes, but many have since closed or operate nominally, with India's total capacity at approximately 97,000 beds.


This suggests potential strain on existing facilities, though precise figures for Vidarbha are unavailable. Recent developments, such as the launch of Vidarbha's first integrated dementia care centre by SMHRC in June 2025, indicate efforts to enhance specialised care, but broader conditions across old-age homes remain inconsistent throughout the region.


The varying quality of care facilities across Vidarbha reflects the broader challenges facing the elderly care infrastructure in the region. Whilst some facilities provide adequate basic services, maintenance issues and resource constraints continue to affect the quality of care available to senior citizens.


Maharashtra Housing Policy 2025: Vidarbha's Path to Improved Senior Care


Maharashtra, encompassing Vidarbha, has demonstrated proactive steps toward improving elderly care, aligning with the Supreme Court's directive to notify clear rules for old-age homes, healthcare, and monthly maintenance.


The Maharashtra Housing Policy 2025, effective from May 2025, introduces significant incentives to bolster senior living infrastructure across the state's districts, including those in Vidarbha.

The policy reduces stamp duty for senior living homes, offers tax breaks, increases floor space index (FSI) allowances, and provides zoning flexibility to encourage the development of care facilities. It also includes plans to revamp old-age homes on government property and establish implementation committees to oversee progress.


National programmes further support Maharashtra's efforts. The National Programme for Health Care of the Elderly (NPHCE), launched in 2010–11, provides a framework for state-level healthcare services for senior citizens, whilst the Atal Vayo Abhyudaya Yojana (AVYAY), initiated in April 2021, focuses on welfare and care facilities. A 2024 position paper by NITI Aayog on Senior Care Reforms noted that fewer than 500 districts in India have old-age homes, highlighting gaps in coverage.

Maharashtra's recent policy initiatives suggest a readiness to bridge these gaps, though challenges in resource allocation and rural implementation may persist. Discussions at the Elder Care India Expo 2025, reported by industry sources, emphasised the need for state-level registration and regulation of care facilities, aligning with the Supreme Court's directive.


In Vidarbha, where rural areas face logistical constraints, the successful execution of these policies will depend on effective local governance and resource distribution.

The policy mandates amenities such as nurse stations and 24/7 ambulance services, alongside monitoring committees to ensure compliance. However, the policy's success in Vidarbha will hinge on its implementation in both urban centres like Nagpur and rural districts like Gadchiroli, where infrastructure challenges remain significant.


Regional Evidence Points to Broader Challenges

Regional Evidence Points to Broader Challenges of Elderly Care in Vidarbha
Regional Evidence Points to Broader Challenges

A study in Raigad district, Maharashtra, published in 2021, examined the quality of life among elderly residents in old-age homes compared to those in family settings, providing valuable context for understanding potential parallels in Vidarbha.


The findings revealed that elderly individuals in care facilities reported lower scores in autonomy, social participation, and intimacy, with 60% experiencing depression. Additionally, 31.67% of residents faced issues like domestic violence or verbal abuse, and 16.67% expressed dissatisfaction with food quality.

These findings suggest potential parallels in Vidarbha, where elderly individuals, particularly in rural areas, may face similar challenges of isolation and inadequate care. The research indicates that care facility residents across Maharashtra experience significant psychological and social challenges, highlighting the need for improved support systems and better-quality care standards.

The comparative evidence from Raigad district suggests that elderly care challenges extend beyond Vidarbha but may be particularly acute in rural areas where resources are limited and family support systems have broken down. The study's findings on depression rates and abuse incidents underscore the urgent need for better regulation and monitoring of care facilities across the region.


The Supreme Court's directive marks a pivotal moment for elderly care in India, casting particular attention on regions like Vidarbha, where the needs of senior citizens are acute.

As Maharashtra rolls out ambitious policies and local facilities adapt to new standards, the region's eleven districts face the challenge of transforming policy intentions into effective ground-level implementation. The success of these initiatives will determine whether vulnerable elderly residents across Vidarbha can access the dignity and support they deserve in their later years.


The path ahead will require sustained efforts from policymakers, caregivers, and communities to transform the landscape of senior care.


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The NewsDirt is a trusted source for authentic, ground-level journalism, highlighting the daily struggles, public issues, history, and local stories from Vidarbha’s cities, towns, and villages. Committed to amplifying voices often ignored by mainstream media, we bring you reliable, factual, and impactful reporting from Vidarbha’s grassroots.

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