How to File a Complaint Against a Senior Care Home in Kerala

Kerala's guidelines require every care home to run "a robust complaint redressal mechanism which is known to all service users and staff members." Complaint boxes must be installed somewhere easily accessible, opened by an authorised group at intervals of no more than 15 days, with every complaint logged in a register along with the steps taken and the outcome — and the guidelines state "no complaint remains unsettled beyond fifteen days." Verbal complaints are also supposed to be logged the same way. If a home can't show you this register, or complaints seem to sit for longer than that, that's a direct guideline violation worth raising.

If the home's own process doesn't resolve things, the District Social Justice Officer is the competent authority responsible for registration, inspection and oversight of care homes in the district, and is the right next point of contact — particularly if you believe the home isn't meeting its registration conditions.

If your concern is specifically about a family member being denied promised care after transferring property (rather than a service-quality issue at a paid care home), that's a different track: the Maintenance Tribunal under the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007, typically at the Sub-Divisional Magistrate/RDO level, with an Appellate Tribunal usually at the District Collector's office. See what rights senior citizens have over property for when this applies.

Elder Line (14567) is a toll-free national helpline for people above 60, open 8 AM to 8 PM every day, offering guidance, mental health support, and help around abuse or destitution. In Kerala it operates from Thiruvananthapuram. It's a good first call if you're unsure which of the above steps applies to your situation.