Protection For Elders

For the welfare of the infirm people, the Department is providing elderly services in form of 'Old Age Home'.

Old Age Homes (Aafiat)

Social Welfare Department first old age home was established in 1975 under the name of “Aafiat” in Lahore. Later, 5 more Old Age Homes were established in the districts of Multan, Rawalpindi, Narowal, Sahiwal and Toba Tek Singh. These homes are providing quality services including shelter, food, health care and recreational facilities to old and infirm persons of the society. All such Institutions have the capacity to accommodate total 300 old and infirm persons (50 residents per institution) at a time.

Eligibility Criteria

The eligibility criteria for the admission is as follows:

• Senior citizens (both male and female) who are above 60 years of age are eligible for admission

• These individuals should be in good health and should not contain any serious or contagious disease. Extremely sick, insane and disable infirm people are not admitted

• Priority is given to those who are extremely vulnerable and don’t have any family or children or those who have no means of income.

Admission Procedure

Admission procedure includes:

• The family of senior citizen forward a simple application to the In-charge of old age home carrying a solid reason for admission in 'Aafiat'

• Any NGO/ CSO or individual can recommend certain individual’s admission and forward an application to the In-charge

• The aging persons belonging to a family who due to some rift want to leave their homes or their children don’t want to stay with them.

• Although these old age homes provide all the facilities free of cost yet those individuals who belong to well off families can pay a meager amount of Rs. 2000-3000 per month for their stay in the old age homes

• At the time of admission, the individuals are medically examined so that his/ her physical health would be recorde.

Facilities

Following facilities are provided to the senior citizens:

• Separate residential portions are made for male and female

• These homes look after all the basic needs of residents including food, cloth, shelter, medicines, recreation etc.

• The old and infirm persons of three categories unclaimed, poor and issueless can stay in these home for life time

• The applicant is allowed to stay for a period of 6 months to one year and further extendable in special cases. In the meanwhile, efforts are made for reconciliation with their families.