The Minister of Rural Development, Social Security, and Community Empowerment, Upali Pannilage, has announced that strict legal action will be taken in the future against elders' care homes and care centers operating without compliance with prescribed regulatory standards.
He stated that the necessary regulations to govern elders' care homes have already been finalized, and Cabinet approval has been obtained to draft the required legal provisions for their implementation.
The Minister further noted that these regulations are scheduled to be gazetted following consultations and agreement with Provincial Councils.
Accordingly, all elders' care homes operating across the country will be required to function in accordance with the new regulatory framework. He also urged guardians to avoid placing elderly individuals in unregistered or unauthorized care facilities.
He acknowledged that while some elders' care homes maintain high standards of care, others lack adequate facilities, safety measures, and sufficient trained staff.
The Minister emphasized that substandard institutions will not be permitted to operate in the future and that the law will be strictly enforced in this regard.
Meanwhile, it has been reported that approximately 455 registered elders' care homes are currently operating islandwide, while only three elders' care homes are directly maintained by the government.
