The Use of Day Care Centers for the Elderly in Punjab

February 24, 2026

Almost everyone has heard of day care centers for children. As economic hardships in ordinary people’s lives after marriage made it necessary for both couples, i.e., the man and the woman, to work, day care centers were established to provide for the proper upbringing of their children. This practice is outdated. Times are changing. The face of family planning has also changed. Infant fertility rates are declining, while the elderly are living longer. Punjab has the highest number of elderly people among all the states in the country. Punjab is a progressive, modern state.

Both married men and women are available to work here. However, the increasing number of elderly people in households has created new concerns for the elderly. Most parents live with their children, and both husband and wife have to go to work. What should the elderly do all day when loneliness and disability are hindering their lives? Now, the question of creating a system for the elderly has arisen.

Punjab lacks the tradition of old-age homes. Since joint families are breaking down despite the existence of the joint family system, some people have begun to view their parents as an unnecessary burden. The lives of the elderly are already filled with loneliness. These days, the peace of homes is being disrupted, but most children still haven’t reached the level of detachment to permanently commit their elders to old-age homes, nor are there proper arrangements for them. Now, a new experiment has been undertaken in Jalandhar, Punjab: the establishment of a day-care center for the elderly. Following the success of this experiment, social workers have decided to establish similar day-care centers in various cities across Punjab. Such a day-care center has been operating in Jalandhar since 2019.

It is run by the Manav Sahayog Society. It houses 44 elderly people over the age of 55. There is no fee for attending this daycare, as their children take them home in the evening. By staying here, the elderly are improving their mental and physical health, overcoming loneliness, and adopting the principle of “live life.” This initiative by the Manav Sahayog Society is welcome. Learning from this, such centers should be opened in every city.