Senior Holistic Care Assistance and Training for Your Utility (SHATAYU)

The Ministry of Social Justice And Empowerment, is taking significant steps towards strengthening the geriatric care ecosystem and ensuring dignified, accessible and dependable care for senior citizens through SHATAYU (Senior Holistic Care Assistance and Training for Your Utility), which is a digital initiative of the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment under the Ministry.

Launched on 22 May 2026 during the National Workshop on ‘Creating a Well-Functioning Care Economy’, SHATAYU has been developed as a centralised national Geriatric Caregiver Dashboard and Directory. The platform seeks to bridge the gap between professionally trained geriatric caregivers and senior citizens, their families and institutions requiring specialised elderly care services.

A Senior Official in the Ministry said with India’s elderly population steadily increasing, the need for a structured, skilled and accessible geriatric care workforce is becoming increasingly important. He said SHATAYU represents an important step towards addressing this requirement by bringing together trained caregivers, families and institutions through a common digital platform. By facilitating access to caregiving professionals while creating organised employment pathways for skilled individuals, the initiative seeks to strengthen India’s care economy and promote a more inclusive, accessible and responsive support system for senior citizens, he said.

The Ministry Official said the SHATAYU portal currently features 30,151 caregivers in its national directory, providing a digital database of caregiving professionals across States and Union Territories. Through this directory, individuals and families can search for caregivers based on geographical location, including State/UT and district, making it easier to identify locally available caregiving support, he said.

The Official said to promote transparency and accountability, SHATAYU incorporates digital facilities such as OTP-based verification for callback requests, caregiver profile access, enrolment tracking and a feedback and rating mechanism. These features facilitate communication between caregivers and service seekers and provide an avenue for users to share their experience of caregiving services.

He said SHATAYU provides a direct digital interface connecting citizens with trained geriatric caregivers. Through its caregiver directory, individuals and families can explore caregiver profiles and identify professionals according to their requirements, he said.

The platform also offers a convenient “Request Callback” facility for individuals seeking assistance in engaging a caregiver, the Official said adding the users can select their preferred State/UT and district, specify the type of care required and submit their contact details through an OTP-based verification process.

The request is subsequently made available to caregivers in the selected district, facilitating direct communication between service seekers and caregiving professionals, the Official said.

The facility caters to both full-time and hourly caregiving requirements, while searching the directory and placing callback requests are available free of charge, he added.

The SHATAYU portal can be accessed at  https://shatayu.dosje.gov.in/

The Official said recognising that the care requirements of senior citizens vary according to their health conditions and individual needs, the platform facilitates access to specialised caregiving services.

These include general geriatric care, post-surgical care, dementia and Alzheimer’s care, physiotherapy and mobility assistance, palliative care and other elderly care requirements, he said.

The Official said the integrated approach enables families to explore suitable caregiving support for elderly members, including those requiring assistance with daily activities, rehabilitation and specialised care.

Beyond facilitating access to elderly care, SHATAYU also aims to strengthen the professional geriatric care workforce by providing visibility and employment opportunities to trained caregivers, the Official further said.

The Ministry Official informed the platform enables eligible professionals to enrol themselves by submitting their personal details, address information, course qualifications and training certificates. Applicants can also track their enrolment status through the dashboard, he said adding that following the review and approval of applications, eligible caregiver profiles are listed on the platform, enabling prospective employers and families to connect with them.

The initiative recognises four broad professional training categories, namely Geriatric Care Provider, Geriatric Caregiver (Institutional and Home Care), Wellness Therapist (Elderly) and Elderly Care Companion, the Official said. These training tracks encompass a range of competencies, including holistic elderly care, physiological monitoring, emergency handling, bedside mobility, assistance with daily living activities, therapeutic rehabilitation, cognitive engagement, emotional companionship and social integration, the Official added.

The Ministyry Official informed the training framework is supported by the National Institute of Social Defence (NISD) and the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), under the respective Ministries of Social Justice and Empowerment and Skill Development and Entrepreneurship.

Through SHATAYU, the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment continues to advance its commitment towards ensuring dignity, well-being, independence and quality care for senior citizens, while supporting the development of a skilled and professionally recognised geriatric care workforce.

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PR-223-TAR/KV/GA/RK