Diu Frontline Workers Receive Geriatric Care Training

Fifty frontline Anganwadi workers in Diu are receiving specialized eldercare training to support senior citizens living alone or requiring daily living assistance. Union Social Justice Secretary Sudhansh Pant launched the five-day capacity-building initiative at the Kevdi Education Hub, organized by the National Institute of Social Defence alongside the Diu district administration.

The intensive curriculum moves beyond basic assistance to address the complex physical and emotional needs of an aging population. Trainees are learning safe transfer techniques, fall prevention, medication adherence, and early detection of cognitive decline such as dementia. Crucially, the coursework emphasizes recognizing signs of elder abuse, abandonment, and exploitation, establishing clear local reporting pathways.

With demographic shifts leaving more elderly residents without immediate family care, frontline personnel will act as community-level navigators. Participants will link seniors directly to social protection pensions, healthcare services, and local administration relief. Pant noted that building village-level caregiving capacity is essential for ensuring that older citizens preserve their independence and dignity within their own communities.

The Diu pilot reflects a broader operational push by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment to institutionalize community eldercare. By upskilling existing grassroots workers into trained geriatric aides, the government aims to create a low-cost, scalable care delivery model across smaller districts and Union Territories.